Moroccan Toasted Couscous Salad

I love couscous and I'm always looking for new ways to eat it.  This salad uses Israeli couscous which is a bit larger and rounder than regular couscous.  It can be hard to find but fortunately, our local co-op carries it on a regular basis. 

 

I recently returned from a trip to Istanbul and came home with bags of delicious dried figs and apricots as well as some good quality saffron threads so I decided I would blend them all together in this exciting salad.

 

The recipe calls for a long list of ingredients and although it demands a lot of chopping and slicing, there is nothing at all difficult about the technique and the result is a beautiful blend of colors and textures.  Everyone in my circle of friends loves this salad!

For the dressing, combine

   1/2 t cumin

   1/4 t cardamom

   1/4 t cinnamon

   1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

   1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

   1 T finely minced or grated ginger 

   1 T honey

   1/4 cup olive oil

   s & p to taste

For the salad, toast for 10 minutes at 375 degrees

   1 1/2 cup Israeli couscous

Bring to a boil

   1 1/2 cup water

   1/4 t turmeric (I substituted saffron threads since I had a good supply)

Add in the toasted couscous and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Let stand for 10 minutes, then fluff and mix together with

   1 small red pepper, chopped

   1 small yellow pepper, chopped

   1/2 small red onion, chopped

   10 dried figs, thinly sliced

   10 dried apricots, thinly sliced

   1/2 cup raisins or currants

   1 cup pistachios, toasted

   1/2 cup minced cilantro

   1 1/2 T orange zest

Drizzle the dressing over and gently mix into the salad.

 

If you take this salad to a carry-in or pot-luck, be prepared to hand out the recipe.  Someone will surely ask for it!  This salad is beautiful to look at, scrumptious to eat, and good for you to boot!