Sweet and Savory Couscous Summer Salad

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Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time5 mins

Course: Salad

Servings:

Calories: 291kcal

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

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.

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.