Couscous salad with dried tomato vinaigrette

December 31, 2006 at 6:27 am (C (2 stars, okay, edible), Grains, The Vegan Gourmet)

I bought whole wheat couscous ages ago, but I never used it because… I never cook with couscous. Trying to clean out my pantry for my move I dug up this couscous salad from the Vegan Gourmet by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler and Minday Toomay. I needed a potluck recipe and it seemed promising.

The dressing

• 1/3 cup minced dried tomato
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne
• 1 Tbs. mustard seeds
• 1 Tbs. cumin seeds
• 1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves

The salad

• 1 medium red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, and diced
• 2 cups dried couscous
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeded
• 1/4 cup minced red onion

1. Roast the bell pepper.
2. Mince the dried tomatoes. If they are too dry to mince, soak them in hot water 15-30 minutes. Drain the tomatoes well then mince them.
3. Well ahead of time, make the dressing so the flavors can blend. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, and cayenne. Place the mustard and cumin seeds in a dry, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Shake the pan frequently for 1-2 minutes, until the seeds begin to pop. stir the hot seeds into the oil mixture (they will sizzle). Add the dried tomato and cilantro. Stir, cover, and seet aside at room temperature for up to several hours, until you are ready to assemble the salad.
4. Meanwhile, heat 3 cups of water in a covered saucepan until boiling. Stir in the couscous, salt, and garlic. Immediately cover, remove from the heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Transfer couscous to a serving bowl and fluff with a fork. Add the roasted red pepper to the bowl. Grate the cucumber into the bowl and add the onion. Toss together the vegetables and couscous. Stir the dressing vigorously and add to the salad. Toss to distribute everything.
5. Makes 6 side-dish servings.

My Notes:

I didn’t have cucumber so julienned some radishes instead. This salad was actually quite similar to the Southwestern Quinoa Salad I’ve posted to this blog, but despite their similarities, I didn’t think this recipe is as good. I found the flavors to be a little harsher, and it seemed a tad greasy. Also, I missed both the nuts and the beans. My friend enjoyed it though, and I took it to a potluck and it all got taken–of course I don’t know if it was actually eaten.