I’m posting again, subbing for Jennifer. There has been much to do at home for her, and she’s just too swamped to experiment right at the moment. So, I’ll be posting until further notice. That might be just this week, that might be for the next few, who knows! We’ll just wait and see and hope things get less crazy at Jennifer’s house :-).

This is one of my favorite salads, though it isn’t a traditional one. It makes a great side dish for barbecue-style events or to go along with simple dinners at home. It’s crisp, refreshing, easy to make and quite tasty. We enjoy it a lot at my house. If you haven’t eaten couscous before, never fear. The quick-cooking varieties commonly found in US grocery stores are very simple to use; just follow the instructions on the packet. It’s a wheat product, so no luck to the GF contingent, but it’s great for the vegetarians and vegans alike. Good source of protein and rather filling, even eaten by itself. Not too heavy, though, which is nice. Well, I suppose I should stop talking about it and let you judge for yourself. So, onward to the recipe!

Black Bean and Couscous Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked couscous
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 3 TBS olive oil
• 2 TBS lime juice
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped small
• 2 carrots, finely grated
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup canned sweet corn kernels, drained
• 1 15 0z can black beans, drained and rinsed
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove it from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot and set it aside to stand, covered, for 5 minutes (or however long it takes you to finish the rest of the prep work–it won’t hurt it to stand longer).

2. In a large bowl whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, cumin and any salt and pepper you’d like to use. Add the chopped green onion, cilantro, corn, beans & red bell pepper. Stir until everything is coated in the dressing.

3. Take the lid off of the couscous and stir it with a fork until all the lumps are broken up. It should be fluffy and light with all the liquid absorbed. Add the couscous to the vegetables and dressing. Mix well.

4. Taste for seasoning and add any more salt and pepper, if needed. Top the salad with the grated carrots and chill until ready to serve. You can serve it at room temperature (as it is now), but I prefer it chilled. Enjoy!