My mom requested my couscous salad recipe shortly after I started my blog, but as you can tell it took me awhile to post it. Sorry mom! I made this salad a lot when I was pregnant with the girls. Once I found something that I could keep down I would make it all the time until basically I was tired of it. It’s taken me a long time to eat these “things” that I ate when I was pregnant. Other examples are peanut butter and cereal. I have just started to eat those again and it’s been over 2 years now since I was pregnant. Maybe that’s why it’s taken me so long to post this mom?
Couscous makes an excellent salad when tossed with a mixture of vegetables and chicken. I have made this salad on several occasions for potlucks in the office or for a summer BBQ. It’s a refreshing salad that can be enjoyed as a side or even as a main dish. Take it from me because tonight it was my dinner. It also tells you something when my mom requests a recipe from me! I do have to warn you it is a lot of chopping of vegetables and chicken but it’s worth it in the end. For the chicken, I used a rotisserie chicken that happened to be on sale at Whole Foods. It’s always great when that happens!
Hopefully you fine this salad as enjoyable as I have!
Chicken and Vegetable Couscous Salad
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1 ½ to 2 cups cooked chicken, diced
- ½ cup thawed, frozen peas
- ½ cup green onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup English cucumber, diced
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
Bring the 1 ½ cups of low-sodium chicken broth to a boil. After bring to a boil remove from the heat and add the 1 cup of couscous. Cover and let set 5 to 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, ¼ tsp salt, 1 Tbsp water, and a couple grinds of pepper and blend well.
In a large bowl combine the chicken, peas, green onion, red bell pepper, cucumber, parsley, and basil.
Add dressing and parmesan to mix and toss well. Then gradually add in the couscous and toss again until well blended.
Serve alone or as a side. I love it because it’s great to pack for my lunch. Easy and quick! Enjoy!
This looks sooo fresh and delicious!