Couscous Salad

Pearl (Israeli) Couscous Salad

Makes: 6 Servings
Each serving contains: 0- Protein, 1- Carb, 2- Vegetables, 1- Fat

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Pearl (Israeli) Couscous (Orzo also works well too)
• 1 1/4 cup water (vegetable and/or chicken stock also work well too but are not required)
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric
• Salt & Pepper
• 10 cups Asparagus (trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces)
• 2 cups (packed) Arugula
• 1/4 cup Parsley, finely chopped

Dressing:

• 1 Lemon, zested
• 4 Tbsp Lemon juice
• 3 Garlic cloves, minced
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 6 Tbsp Olive Oil

Instructions: Dressing:

1. Place lemon zest, juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium to large bowl.
2. Add oil and whisk until combined.

Salad:

1. When preparing the couscous, get a medium sized sauce pan and put it on medium flame heat. Add couscous to pan and let toast for a minute or two, stirring occasionally. Add 1 1/4 water (vegetable and chicken broth work great too), season with salt, pepper, and 1/4 tsp turmeric. Stir. Bring to a boil then turn down heat and let the couscous simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until cooked. Cool properly.
2. When preparing your asparagus, after you cut/snap the ends off, cut the stalks into 2 inch pieces. Blanch the asparagus in boiling water until they turn bright green, this should only take a couple minutes, depending how thick the stalks are. Once asparagus has turned bright green, drain out hot water into a colander and rinse with cold water. This will stop the cooking process to prevent them turning mushy.
3. Add cooled couscous and asparagus to the dressing bowl.
4. Add arugula and chopped parsley. Mix well.
5. Add more lemon juice, salt and pepper, only if needed.
6. Serve with a protein for a complete meal. Enjoy!

Helpful Tip: Keep couscous in separate container from vegetable salad. You can measure out the vegetable servings and measure out 1/2 cup of couscous to ensure you are getting the proper servings.