With a refreshing lime vinaigrette and fresh summer produce, this Israeli couscous makes for a perfect summer salad!
I’ve been somewhat obsessed with the whole strawberry-avocado combo lately, so with the ingredients I had on hand, I decided to make a summer salad with a refreshing lime vinaigrette, except I used an ingredient I’ve never cooked with before Israeli couscous.
I honestly never even heard about couscous until I watched Friends, season 4, episode 19, where Ross and Rachel Take a Break. (Can you tell I’m a bit of a Friends fan?) So, in this episode, Rachel is stuck at work, but Ross, being the insecure man that he is, brings a picnic over to Bloomingdales so that they can celebrate their anniversary. Rachel is completely flustered, but Ross unpacks his little picnic basket and says, “Yeah, but I got couscous!”
Since I watched this episode, I’ve always had the wonders of couscous in the back of my mind, and I’m so glad I have finally been able to try it after all these years. I love the nuttiness of the couscous and the grain-pasta-like-hybrid texture. And with fresh summer produce like strawberries, avocado, and sweet corn kernels tossed in a sweet and tangy lime vinaigrette, you’ll have summer in a bowl!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup couscous
- One avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup corn kernels
- 1/2 cup strawberries, quartered
- Two tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- Two tablespoons pine nuts
FOR THE LIME VINAIGRETTE
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- Zest of 1 lime
- Two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice
- Two teaspoons sugar, or more to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- To make the vinaigrette, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lime zest and juice, and sugar in a small bowl; set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, cook couscous according to package instructions.
- In a large bowl, combine couscous, avocado, corn, strawberries, cilantro and pine nuts. Stir in lime vinaigrette.
- Serve immediately.