Hot summer days call for light meals with little-to-no cooking effort. This Pearl Couscous Salad with Basil Pesto and Summer Vegetables is a satisfying way to keep cool during a summer heatwave.
This time last week I was on my way to the Eastern Seaboard for a weekend getaway in southern Maryland with my dear girlfriends from grad school. We try to get together at least once a year for what we lovingly dub "Spring Breeaaaak!" regardless of the time of year. During our trip we tallied all the times we've gotten together since the majority of us graduated in 2004; long story short, the list was impressively long. I love that we are so committed to getting together and keeping in touch.
When it comes to our girlfriend getaways, we do not mess around when it comes to food. We had quite a stockpile of snacks, and while there was plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables (aka, filler, ha ha ha), I definitely managed to consume more of the not-so-good for you stuff. (Cheesy poofs for breakfast? Why not?) We also made a brilliant concoction of brookies one night – a layer of brownies baked with a layer of cookie dough on top. Um, yeah, that was delicious. And of course, seeing as we were in Maryland, plenty of crab cakes were eaten as well. Long story short, by the time I came home, I was ready for some light meals.
Enter in this recipe for Pearl Couscous with Basil Pesto and Summer Vegetables. It's a simple one-pot meal that takes less than 15 minutes to prepare. Add in some cubed tofu or shredded cooked chicken to make it a full meal, or it works perfectly well as a side dish, too. This recipe makes a big batch, and I've been enjoying it as a light lunch all week long.
Pearl Couscous Salad with Basil Pesto and Summer Vegetables (printer-friendly version)
makes 6-8 servings
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup pearl (also called Israeli) couscous
1/3 - 1/2 cup basil pesto
1 medium zucchini, diced small (about 2 cups)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved and seeds removed
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the couscous and return to a boil. Then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the pesto sauce.
2. Gently stir in the zucchini and tomato until combined. Then stir in the garbanzo beans and crumbled feta. Season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve room temperature or cold.
(adapted from this recipe from Bob's Red Mill)
makes 6-8 servings
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup pearl (also called Israeli) couscous
1/3 - 1/2 cup basil pesto
1 medium zucchini, diced small (about 2 cups)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved and seeds removed
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the couscous and return to a boil. Then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the pesto sauce.
2. Gently stir in the zucchini and tomato until combined. Then stir in the garbanzo beans and crumbled feta. Season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve room temperature or cold.
(adapted from this recipe from Bob's Red Mill)
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