Confetti Cous Cous Salad

I love this main course salad!  It is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Not only is it vibrant with beautiful colors, super tasty and simple to make but it is loaded with antioxidants! This is one of my favorite meals anytime of year.  But I especially like it during the transition from summer to fall when I’m not quite ready to let go of summer…

** Note: This recipe works well for large parties and is very easy to double.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
  • Organic whole wheat cous cous -I like Rice Select’s organic whole wheat cous cous
  • 2 cups mint leaves
  • 2 cups cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup organic dried cranberries
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 bunches organic watercress, stems cut, washed and dried
    **Liza’s tip:  If the leaves of your salad are not completely dry, your vinaigrette will not be able to coat the leaves thoroughly – leaving you with a dressing that doesn’t stick to the leaves and ends up at the bottom of your salad bowl.
  • 3-4 ripe mangoes 1 inch diced – if you can’t find good mangoes, you can replace them with ripe sliced peaches or nectarines.

Directions:
  1. First toast the pine nuts – preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Spread pine nuts on a cookie sheet, toast them in the oven until golden brown – usually about 10 minutes.  But watch them, they burn fast!
  3. Take pine nuts out and let cool
  4. Make cous cous – follow directions on package.
    **Liza’s tip: To give the cous cous extra flavor I always add 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of  salt to the water before I pour the cous cous in.
  5. After cous cous is cooked, put in a large salad bowl and let cool, fluff with a fork to break up any clumps
  6. Mince two cups of cilantro and 2 cups of mint leaves in a mini chopper.
    **Liza’s tip:  If you don’t have a mini chopper, don’t walk – run and get yourself one! It saves loads of time.  I use it to mince all my herbs, garlic and onions in seconds.
  7. Once the cous cous is cool add in salt and pepper, cranberries, pine nuts, mint and cilantro – mix ingredients together using a fork to fluff.
  8. In a second bowl, dress the watercress with vinaigrette
  9. Add dressed watercress to cous cous in serving bowl
  10. Add mango
  11. Pour 1 cup of vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss all together
    **Note:  You can serve informally from a large salad bowl with a large serving spoon or you can plate individually by dividing dressed watercress on to each plate then scooping cous cous on to the bed of watercress. Place 2 chicken skewers narrowly crossed on top of the cous cous and you’re ready to serve!
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