Vegetable Couscous Salad

The weather in Philadelphia decided to take a break from the cold and give us two days of summer! We hit temperatures above 80 degrees so I wanted to prepare a light meal that didn’t involve much time over a stove. This Vegetable Couscous Salad from Cooking Light is perfect for summer dinners. It also travels well, so it would be a great addition to a barbecue, just make it ahead of time and bring it with you!

Ingredients:

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (.6 ounce envelope Italian dressing mix) or Italian spice blend

Salad:

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked couscous
• 2 cups chopped red bell pepper (I used two peppers)
• 2 cups chopped tomato (I used two beefsteak tomatoes)
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

To make the dressing, add the water, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and dressing mix to a jar. Cover tightly and shake vigorously. (I didn’t have Italian dressing mix, so I added some oregano, thyme, basil, parsley, pepper, and salt).

Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Gradually stir in the couscous and remove from heat.

Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

While waiting for the couscous to absorb the water, chop your pepper, tomato, green onions and parsley. Add to a bowl with kalamata olives and feta cheese.

Add the couscous to a large bowl and stir in the other ingredients.

Add the dressing mixture and toss to coat in the dressing.

If traveling, add the dressing mixture right before serving.

I love the different textures in this salad. And it’s so easy to make! My boyfriend had this again for lunch the next day and said it held up really well. I will definitely be making this for a summer barbecue!