I love packing up a picnic for lunch or dinner, and heading out to the park. It’s even fun to pack up the picnic basket and eat dinner at the backyard picnic table. I love it when I find new salads or summer side dishes that can be made ahead to marinate all morning, and then packed up for a picnic. This picnic perfect Couscous Salad is one of those salads. It even tastes great if you whip it up and eat it right away. It’s also a great salad to bring to a potluck, pool party or neighbor’s BBQ.

This couscous salad is full of summer flavor with cherry tomatoes, fresh mint an parsley. My garden is bursting with fresh herbs right now, so I love a recipe like this that uses them up.

Picnic Perfect Couscous Salad

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked couscous (1 cup dry will yield 1 1/2 cups cooked)
2 tablespoons very finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 English cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and finely chopped
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

directions:

Cook the couscous according to package directions. 1 cup dry makes 1 1/2 cups cooked couscous. After the couscous is cooked, drain using a fine mesh strainer, and then rinse it immediately with cold water, and then drain well. The couscous will seem sticky straight from the pot, but no worries, it won’t be sticky after it’s rinsed and drained.

In a large bowl, add 1/2 cup olive oil, chopped onion, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, whisk until combined. Stir in the couscous, cucumber, tomatoes, parsley and mint. Add in a bit of salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine.

Serve this salad right away or store covered in the refrigerator for later. If you prepare this salad the day before for an event, just omit the mint and parsley, cover and chill the salad, and then stir in the freshly chopped mint and parsley just before serving.

Enjoy!

Picnic Perfect Couscous Salad

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Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cups cooked couscous 1 cup dry will yield 1 1/2 cups cooked
• 2 tablespoons very finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 English cucumber unpeeled, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes halved
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Cook the couscous according to package directions. 1 cup dry makes 1 1/2 cups cooked couscous. After the couscous is cooked, drain using a fine mesh strainer, and then rinse it immediately with cold water, and then drain well. The couscous will seem sticky straight from the pot, but no worries, it won't be sticky after it's rinsed and drained.
• In a large bowl, add 1/2 cup olive oil, chopped onion, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, whisk until combined. Stir in the couscous, cucumber, tomatoes, parsley and mint. Add in a bit of salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine.
• Serve this salad right away or store covered in the refrigerator for later. If you prepare this salad the day before for an event, just omit the mint and parsley, cover and chill the salad, and then stir in the freshly chopped mint and parsley just before serving.
• Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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