Mediterranean Couscous Salad – an easy peasy summer side dish

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 “ In Italy, they add work and life on to food and wine.”  — Robin Leach

Hi there,

Well here it is the end of summer and fate has decreed that I would not spend a portion of it gazing out at the Mediterranean Sea, sigh😔 Instead I am at Trader Joe’s hoping for inspiration for a dinner that will take my taste buds back to sitting in a cafe by the sea, sipping some rose and eating something filled with the fresh flavors of summer. A tall order I will admit but my muse didn’t let me down. Sitting in the produce section was this wonderful little package filled with diced summer vegetables –

As I strolled down another isle, a box of pearl couscous spoke to me. With a funny Greek accent it said, γεια σου κυρία θα μπορούσαμε να φτιάξουμε μια όμορφη σαλάτα μαζί. (Hey there lady, we could make a beautiful salad together.) With the soundtrack from Zorba the Greek playing in my ear, I headed home to cook.

Time to put on your apron!

Pearl Coucous and Vegetable Hash

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup pearl couscous
  • 1 package of Trader Joe’s vegetable hash
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:

  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then add the pearl couscous and cook according to package instructions until tender. Drain and set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and garlic and cook until softened about 3-4 minutes.
  3. Add the vegetable hash to the skillet and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked to your desired tenderness.
  4. Combine the cooked pearl couscous with the cooked vegetable hash.
  5. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the salad and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Top the salad with fresh parsley for garnish.

This delicious pearl couscous and vegetable hash salad is easy to make and absolutely bursting with flavors. It is wonderful served warm, cold, or at room temperature. Try serving it with this recipe for lemon shrimp: https://newclassicrecipe.com/2022/08/23/lemon-shrimp-cocktail-nothing-small-about-the-taste/ Enjoy!

30 responses to “Mediterranean Couscous Salad – an easy peasy summer side dish”

  1. johnrieber – I love great food, interesting books, fascinating travel, outrageous movies, and bacon, especially when it sits on top of a great cheeseburger! I work in entertainment – and I have been lucky enough to interview some really talented Artists – that guides my posts: interesting and provocative movies, music, social media and of course, food, since I believe strongly in the maxim, "everyone eats!"
    johnrieber says:

    Two things: first, love the refreshing nature of this and will share the recipe…two, what a place to eat it – that last shot has given me so much #wanderlust!

  2. CarolCooks2 – Udon Thani – Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them. I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling. Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing. This is now taking me into other areas like deforestation, chemicals and preservatives in the food chain. Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!
    CarolCooks2 says:

    A wonderful vibrant ,healthy salad I must admit couscous is something I very rarely use ..no reason I just don’t and maybe this is the place to start,,.Thank for sharing this lovely recipe 🙂

  3. the Painted Apron – Life is all about creativity for me, as long as I'm creating something I am happy! I hope I will inspire your daily life and give you ideas for your own wonderful creations!
    Jenna says:

    I love Trader Joe’s, and it’s fun to go in there and poke around! You found great things for your virtual trip to the beautiful Mediterranean!

  4. Love the combination of vegetables and couscous as a starter or a side dish.

  5. Ronit Penso Tasty Eats – NY, NY – Private chef, cookbook author, food journalist and translator. I love traveling and love to find out more about food wherever I go.
    Ronit Penso says:

    Tasty and healthy combination of pasta and veggies! I would probably top it with some crumbled Feta cheese, to make it even more “Greek”. 🙂

  6. Chef Mimi – As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!
    Chef Mimi says:

    I would never think to buy a vegetable hash, but it looks pretty darn good! Great salad.

  7. If I could sit at that little table with the beautiful blue water round me I would eat that tumble of vegetables and pasta with delight.:))

  8. Awakening Wonders – Everyday life is filled with wondrous things and embraceable moments, but only if we allow ourselves to be fully awakened. I invite you to join me as I share passionate life adventures and ramblings that awaken my spirit. I look forward to awakening your senses to the simple, joyous wonders that are all around us. I feel that we are destined to become soulful adventurers!
    Awakening Wonders says:

    Love this – ““In Italy, they add work and life on to food and wine.” — Robin Leach.” The recipe looks delicious!

  9. I love Trader Joe’s and this looks like a great salad, love your dish too!

  10. Hi Bernadette, this is such an entertaining post. Thanks for the lovely recipe

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