Sweet and Savory Couscous Summer Salad
Published Jul 01, 2023
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This is a crowd-pleasing Sweet and Savory Couscous Summer Salad that you will want to make all summer long.

Sweet and Savory Couscous Summer Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups (600 g) gluten-free couscous (gluten free orzo, brown rice, or quinoa), cooked according to package directions and cooled to room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 mL) plus ¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil. divided
- 2 ears of fresh sweet corn, , kernels cut off the cob, or 1 ½ cups frozen sweet corn, thawed
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) sea salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon (1.2 g) freshly ground pepper, divided
- 1 can chickpeas, , rinsed and drained
- 2 nectarines, (or peaches), cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cucumber, , peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup (175 g) grape or cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
- ½ medium red onion, , finely diced
- ½ cup (56 g) pepitas
- Juice and zest of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) honey
- 2 cups (40 g) arugula, roughly chopped if leaves are large
- ⅓ cup (8 g) fresh basil leaves, slivered
- 2 tablespoon (5 g) fresh mint leaves, slivered
Instructions
- Place prepared couscous in a large serving bowl. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a pan and add corn, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the corn is tender and lightly browned in spots. Transfer corn to bowl with the couscous.
- Add chickpeas, nectarines (or peaches), cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and pepitas to the bowl with the couscous and corn and toss well to combine.
- In a small bowl, combine juice of lemon, lemon zest, honey, and ¼ cup olive oil. Pour mixture over the salad and toss to coat.
- Add arugula, basil, and mint to the cooled couscous mixture and gently combine everything together with a spatula. Season with remaining salt and pepper. Add more to taste if necessary. Serve salad at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Notes
Gluten-free couscous can be ordered online or found in some stores. You can also use brown rice, quinoa, or gluten-free orzo in this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 291kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 11gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.003gSodium: 273mgPotassium: 554mgFiber: 6gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 362IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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