Giant couscous salad with green vegetables and pesto.
This green giant couscous salad is one of those salads I will come back to again and again through the spring and summer months. It is simple to make, packed with green vegetables and has a lovely balance of fresh flavours and contrasting textures.
The salad is made with giant couscous, also known as pearl couscous, Israeli couscous or fregola, which has a little more bite and body than classic couscous. Once cooked, it is rinsed in cold water so it is ready to be tossed with the light pesto dressing of pesto, olive oil, lemon, salt and freshly ground pepper.
The salad is then filled out with green asparagus, peas, avocado, shallots and parsley. If you can get hold of freshly podded peas when they are in season, I warmly recommend it – they really do add something special to the salad.
The result is a fresh, satisfying and genuinely delicious salad that goes perfectly with barbecued food, chicken, beef, fish or salmon. And should there be any left over, it also makes an excellent lunch the next day – perhaps with a little chicken or another protein on the side.
A lovely salad full of green flavours that goes with just about anything.
Green giant couscous salad with asparagus, peas and avocado
Ingredients
- 180 g giant couscous
- 1 bunch green asparagus
- 200 g peas, ideally freshly podded
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 2 small shallots, finely sliced
- 1 handful parsley, finely chopped
- 2-3 tbsp green pesto – click here for the recipe
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
- Cook the giant couscous according to the packet instructions and rinse it in plenty of cold water.
- Pour boiling water over the green asparagus, then rinse in cold water. Snap off the woody ends and cut the rest into smaller pieces.
- Mix the pesto, olive oil and lemon juice in a large bowl – season with salt and freshly ground pepper and stir together.
- Add the giant couscous, the vegetables (asparagus, peas and shallots), the avocado and the parsley, and toss well together.
- Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper before serving. Keep the salad in the fridge until you are ready to serve – it only gets better after a couple of hours of chilling.
Nutrition
Premium
Kan man bruge bulgur, i stedet for couscous? Og hvis, redet så samme mængde?
Hej Momse
Ja sagtens og jeg ville blot bruge samme mængde:)
Warm wishes, Dianna