Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Lentil and Couscous Salad

Posted by Erin / 3 comments » / csa, salad, vegetarian

This salad is the result of my very first CSA box.  Wait, that’s not right!  I’ve been doing a CSA for 4 years now!  This is actually a result of my very first WINTER CSA box.  The Boy & I have become so hooked on all the delicious hearty greens & winter squash, I couldn’t resist signing up to extend my season.  As it turns out, we got the very last crop of tomatoes in this first Winter season box.  We also got a hearty amount of arugula.  As I searched my bookmarked recipes, I came across this one and chose it because I already had almost all the ingredients on hand as pantry staples.

My friend and I prepared this together when she came down to visit me, and check out the new house.  I had to make a quick Kroger run (it’s just a few blocks away), so I left her to cook the lentils.  After two phone calls with her mother, she managed to cook them just fine. 

We ate this salad alongside some roasted Japanese sweet potatoes, and her & I split a turkey burger (that recipe is still yet to appear on the blog, but I did photograph it!).  And I enjoyed this salad for quite a few lunches later in the week as well.  It’s a great vegetarian side dish, but could easily be made a main dish by adding chicken.  My one suggestion is to add some crumbled feta, which I didn’t think to do until after I took the photo!

Lentil and Couscous Salad

Adapted from Whole Foods

Ingredients:

3/4 cup dried green lentils
3 3/4 cups water, divided
1/2 cup whole wheat or regular couscous
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups (about 2 ounces) packed baby arugula leaves
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Directions:

Put lentils and 3 cups water into a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender but not falling apart, about 15 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water and drain again.

Measure out 3/4 cups of water and then add the water and a pinch of salt to a saucepan. Bring to a boil and add couscous. Cover, and remove from heat. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

Remove the lid and fluff the couscous with a fork. Set aside to let cool, then add cooked lentils and tomatoes and toss gently to combine.

In a small bowl (I use a measuring cup), whisk together pesto, vinegar, salt and pepper. Just before serving, drizzle pesto mixture over couscous/lentil mixture and toss to coat.

Arrange arugula in a medium serving bowl, add the lentil/couscous mixture and toss to combine.