Summer Couscous Salad

It's been really HOT here lately, and I wanted something satisfying, but not heavy. This summer salad was the perfect choice. And, you don't feel guilty after you eat it. Unfortunately, I lost most of the afternoon sun, and my photos weren't as pretty as I'd hoped, but you get the general idea.

Couscous Salad

You’ll need:

1 box (24 oz.) chicken stock

1 box Israeli Couscous (or you can also use the smaller variety which is easier to find. They both work very well)..I used a combination of both, but that can be tricky since they both require different cooking times.

Olive Oil

1 white Onion-chopped

1/2 cup fresh chopped Basil (about 12 leaves)

3 cloves fresh Garlic-minced

2 tablespoons butter

1 carton Cherry Tomatoes (about 1 1/2 cups)-slice each tomato in half

½ cup Sun Dried Tomatoes-in olive oil-sliced

Juice of 1 lemon

Zest of 2 lemons

Natures Seasoning

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup shredded Mozzarella

Olive Oil

Begin by heating chicken stock, and salt to a boil. Add couscous, stir, reduce heat to low, and cover. Follow directions on couscous package, but for the larger variety cook for about 7-8 minutes, and for the smaller variety-about 5.

Heat olive oil in pan (a few tablespoons) and then sauté onions, garlic, and basil till golden brown. Your couscous should be ready now, so remove from heat & toss with butter. Fluff it up gently so it doesn’t stick. Add your cherry tomatoes, onion mixture, sun dried tomatoes, and Natures’ Seasoning. Toss gently, and then add zest and lemon juice. At the end add cheeses, and toss. Serve cold or hot because this is just plain delicious!