This couscous salad was the accidental invention of my friend Kari, when she combined 2 different salads in her fridge that needed to be used up. It turned out delicious, so now we’ve both been making it on purpose! You can use any kind of greens (kale, Swiss chard, soft cabbage, arugula, mustard greens, etc) and grains (couscous, quinoa, barley, small pasta, etc) in this salad — it’ll taste good in any variation. For some extra heat, add a seeded and chopped jalapeno. Enjoy!
Couscous Salad with Greens and Beans
Number of Servings: 8
- 1 ½ cups Israeli Couscous
- ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Fresh Lemon Juice, from 1-2 lemons
- 1 pinch Kosher salt
- 1 pinch Ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup Fresh Cilantro, rough chopped
- 3 Green Onions, thinly sliced
- 1 Poblano Peppers, seeded & finely diced
- 1 Fennel Bulb, cored & shaved or very thinly sliced
- 4 cups Black Kale, Green chard, Napa cabbage, or other green; shredded
- 1 can Small white beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 ounces Good Feta Cheese, crumbled or cut into chunks
Ingredients
1 Cook couscous according to package directions.
I recommend using broth instead of water for more flavor (or add 1 tsp salt + 1 Tbsp butter to the water). Spread couscous out onto a plate and place in the fridge to cool.
2 Make vinaigrette.
Whisk lemon juice olive oil, salt, and pepper in the bottom of a large bowl.
3 Assemble rest of salad.
Add fennel, kale (or any other type of greens you like), cilantro, green onions, poblano peppers, and white beans to the bowl and toss with the vinaigrette.
4 Add remaining ingredients and serve.
Remove couscous from fridge and add it to the salad along with the feta cheese. Gently toss so all ingredients are coated with vinaigrette and serve. If salad seems dry, add more lemon juice and olive oil to taste. May be eaten warm, cold, or at room temperature.
Directions
Dairy
- 4 ounces Good Feta Cheese
Fresh Herbs
- 1/3 cup Fresh Cilantro
Fruit
- ¼ cup Fresh Lemon Juice
Grains
- 1 ½ cups Israeli Couscous
Oils
- ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pantry
- 1 pinch Kosher salt
Produce
- 4 cups Black Kale
Vegetables
- 1 Fennel Bulb
- 3 Green Onions
- 1 Poblano Peppers
canned beans
- 1 can Small white beans
spices
- 1 pinch Ground black pepper
** Kari Lauritzen is not only my friend, but a fabulous private chef in Los Angeles**








