Dinner Diary Day 9: Couscous Salad

Every once in a while, I make a meal so delicious that I don’t care if no one else likes it, and I’ll make it again (and again!). Such is the case with couscous salad. It’s easy, healthful, and I find the flavors enchanting. The earthy couscous, the sweet, crisp vegetables, and the robust, tangy lemon dressing make magic.

My kids do not feel the magic. My daughter dislikes all tiny grains: couscous, quinoa, and even their more portly cousin orzo. Mini starches give her the creeps; she literally quivers when they enter her mouth.

Since she’s my good eater, I assumed she would eventually get over the aversion. I forced her to eat a (very) small bowl of whatever quinoa or couscous dish I made. Then, when she was ten or so, she threw up the night after eating her quinoa. These two things could have been unrelated, but I felt bad about it, so henceforth I never made her eat those evil tiny grains.

My son takes his cues from his sister, so getting him to eat the couscous salad was always going to be an uphill climb. He also dislikes the mouth feel of couscous, and the dressing is too strong for him. My husband likes the salad, but he doesn’t rave about it the way I do.

I would normally toss a recipe with two hard no’s and a so-so, but I just can’t quit this couscous. It’s everything I hope for in a salad: tangy, slightly sweet, crunchy, creamy, bright, and colorful.

The recipe came from an ancient Williams Sonoma cookbook, the name of which I don’t know because I tore out the recipes I liked and threw the book away. I tweaked the dressing, added avocado, and decided that the bell peppers should not be roasted—it took too much work, and I preferred the taste of fresh peppers.

On the occasional night I make this recipe, I give the kids some leftover veggies from the salad, plain or drizzled with my normal salad dressing, and veggie nuggets. Because I eat so much of it, I usually eat the salad alone or with pita and hummus on the side, but it would also make an awesome side dish or potluck contribution.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do, if only to confirm that I’m not crazy.

Couscous Salad (adapted from Williams Sonoma)

Serves 4

Time: 30 minutes

1 cup couscous (I use whole wheat if I can find it, but regular works fine)

1 orange or yellow bell pepper, large diced

1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 English cucumber (or three Persian cucumbers), peeled in stripes, halved lengthwise, seeded, and large diced

½ or whole avocado, large diced

1 small jalapeno, minced

½ cup chopped cilantro

6 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (and more to taste)

1 ½ teaspoons cumin

½ teaspoon paprika

2 cloves garlic, minced

Put the couscous and ½ teaspoon salt in a large bowl and microwave 1 cup of water to boiling. Pour the boiling water over the couscous, stir, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the veggies (through the cilantro). After 10 minutes, remove the plastic wrap and fluff the couscous with a fork.

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and several turns of freshly ground black pepper.

Add the vegetables except the avocado to the cooled couscous. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir. Taste for lemon juice, salt and pepper. I sometimes add another tablespoon of lemon juice if my lemons are not super tart. Once the dressing is perfect, fold in the avocado.

Serve with pita or pita chips and hummus and veggie nuggets for the kiddos.