Lemony Arugula Salad with Couscous, Cucumbers and Feta

It’s humorous how sure recipes sneak their way into your weekly rotation. This arugula and couscous salad has done simply that. We make it for dinner, devour the leftovers for lunch and have served it to buddies extra times than i'm able to be counted. the moment you are making this salad, you’ll be itching to make it again. The salad is easy, speedy and tastes love it got here from a fancy restaurant. right here’s the rundown for the way to make it!

The base is couscous — we specially love pearl (regularly labeled Israeli couscous). It chefs quick and gives the salad enough substance to stand at the plate through itself. you may switch the couscous for pasta, quinoa, barley or other grains. It’s easy: toss maximum of the dressing with the warm couscous and permit it cool slightly earlier than adding every other substances. We take the same technique whilst making potato salad (we toss warm potatoes with the dressing first). by way of doing this, the nice and cozy factor has a hazard to take in all of the flavor in the dressing. A sport changer.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SALAD

1 1/2 cups dried pearl (Israeli) couscous (about 3 cups cooked)
3 ounces baby arugula or tender salad greens, about 4 cups
1/2 hothouse (seedless) cucumber, chopped
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled, about 1/2 cup

FOR THE DRESSING

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, about 1/2 large lemon
4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon minced preserved lemon, optional
1 teaspoon dried basil or a handful chopped fresh basil leaves, optional
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add couscous and cook until tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain then add to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, honey, preserved lemon and basil together until it looks thick and blended. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper (we add a generous pinch of each).
Toss the cooked and drained couscous with the dressing then set aside for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooled slightly. Finish the salad by adding the arugula, cucumbers and feta. Toss well then serve.

source https://kitchenstronger.blogspot.com/2019/04/lemony-arugula-salad-with-couscous.html