I guess it’s a week for salad recipes, huh?
With the weather getting nicer and grills fired up all over town it only makes sense that we start finding new side dishes to pair with our beautifully grilled meats and veggies!
Lauren and Greg invited me over for dinner on Sunday night, and I immediately asked what I could bring. When she suggested a side, I knew exactly which dish I would bring.
Once again, Gina has outdone herself! This dish combines fresh tomatoes, asparagus, israeli couscous (my favorite couscous!) and a light lemony vinaigrette to create an amazingly refreshing, summery side dish. Seriously, if you have a party coming up… you owe it to your guests to bring this one. It’s that good!
And, since I’m completely inspired by dinner on Sunday night… I’m thinking you should pair your couscous salad with kabobs and grilled sweet potatoes – – just sayin!
Lemon Asparagus Couscous Salad with Tomatoes
From Skinnytaste
Serves 5
INGREDIENTS
6 oz. whole wheat pearl couscous
3/4 lb thin asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed and chopped into small pieces
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1-1/2 lemons, juiced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
Kosher salt, to taste
fresh cracked pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add asparagus and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
2. Remove with a large slotted spoon and rinse in a colander in the sink under cold water to stop it from cooking.
3. Add the couscous to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Note: I used a combination of regular and whole wheat couscous as that’s what I had on hand.
4. While the couscous cooks, chop your veggies!
5. Once done, drain the couscous and rinse under cold water. Note: Use a colander with smaller holes, if you have one, so that the couscous doesn’t slip through.
6. Add the chopped asparagus, tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice, and olive oil to the bowl.
7. Add your couscous and fresh parsley.
6. Taste for salt and pepper and serve room temperature or chilled.
Per 1 cup serving:
CAL 170; CARB 30g; FAT 4g; PROT 6.3g; FIB 5g; SUG 0g; WW Points+: 4; WW Smart Points: 5