Summer Couscous and Chick-pea Salad

Summer Couscous and Chick-pea Salad

This is a wonderful couscous and chick-pea salad! Good all year-long and super simple to make…and make it your own with the flavors you enjoy. I enjoy this version of the salad because it can be served with just about anything. I usually triple the recipe and divide into containers to make sure it lasts for several days. My crew will eat it by the bowlful instead of as a side dish!

Ingredients:

1 cup water or chicken broth
3/4 cup couscous
1  Tomato, diced
1 Cucumber, seeded and diced
1 Celery stalk, diced
1 Carrot, shredded or diced
1 Red or Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh or 1 tablespoon dried Dill Weed
1 can Chick-peas (drained and rinsed)
3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice (or more to taste)
3 Tablespoons Olive or Vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons crumbled feta cheese (or more to preference)
Salt and Pepper to taste (start with about 1/8 teaspoon of each)

Optional: 1 diced onion or green onion, 1 handful chopped olives (you can add just about anything you enjoy to this salad!)

Directions:

1. Heat water or broth to a boil. Combine with couscous. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.
2. While waiting, chop tomatoes, cucumber, celery, and dill weed. I chop the Chick-peas too as my little ones think they don't like them.. but they love this salad!
3. In small bowl, beat lemon juice, oil and salt with fork or whisk until blended; pour over vegetable mixture and toss.
4. Combine all above and season to taste with additional salt, pepper, lemon juice and oil.
5. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow flavors to blend.

Note: When ready to serve – Toss well with fork. You may wish to drizzle additional olive oil and lemon to freshen flavors or if couscous has absorbed all the liquids.

Try making your own version of this Summer Couscous and Chick-pea Salad soon.

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