Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Lentil and Couscous Salad

Posted by Erin Wilburn / 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!

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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.