This Revitalizing Couscous Salad recipe from The Cook-a-Palooza Experience cookbook is chock full of flavor thanks to the fusion of Italian and Southwest ingredients in the tangy dressing!

Unfamiliar ingredients can make us think they are difficult to cook. Couscous had that effect on me. I had never seen it prepared and never ate it as a kid.

My hesitation vanished once I learned couscous is small balls of pasta you prepare like rice. Pasta and cooking rice are two things I understand!

For this recipe, the couscous is cooked in vegetable broth and eggs (this only takes a few minutes). Once the couscous absorbs the broth, you toss it with diced vegetables and a vibrant dressing that uses low-fat Italian salad dressing as its base.

At only 2 grams of fat per serving, it balances the excess ice cream I devour during the summer months. It’s also a great dish to bring along to a summer barbecue – once tasted, it’ll get eaten fast! 

My cookbook, The Cook-a-Palooza Experience, covers salads and a lot more recipes for summer (my secret Grilled Jerk Chicken recipe is worth the price alone 🙂 ). Give it a glance and see if it’s interesting to you.

For another satisfying summer salad recipe, grab the cafe’s free cup of 10 Quick and Easy Recipes to Kick Start Your Cooking. Inside you’ll find a Texas Grilled Cheese Salad recipe. It makes the perfect summer lunch for one!

Recipe From: The Cook-a-Palooza Experience

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable broth / $0.59
2 eggs, lightly beaten / $0.46
1 cup couscous / $1.62
1/2 cup low-fat Italian salad dressing / $0.68
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice / $0.50
1/2 tsp each chili powder and ground cumin / $0.10
1/2 cup quartered cherry or grape tomatoes / $0.18
1/2 cup each diced carrots, diced cucumber and diced bell peppers / $1.10
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional) / $0.02
Salt and black pepper to taste / $0.01

Directions

1. In a medium pot, bring vegetable broth to a boil. Stir broth and slowly add eggs. Continue to stir until eggs are set, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in couscous. Cover with lid and let stand for 5 minutes.
3. In a bowl, whisk together Italian dressing, lime juice, chili powder and cumin. Set aside.
4. Using a fork, stir couscous to break up any clumps. Stir in vegetables and cilantro. Add dressing mixture. Season with salt and pepper and toss.
5. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Thanks for stopping in at the cafe. Cheers!