French-Style Couscous Salad (Taboulé)

Recipe by Pardon Your French.
Serves: 4-6 people

INGREDIENTS

Couscous:

• 1 ¾ cup chicken-broth (or water with ½ tsp salt)

• 1 ½ cup (10oz) Couscous

• 2 tbsp (30ml) OLiV Coratina Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1/3 cup (50g) raisins, not packed
• About 2 cups (500g) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• ¼ red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• ¼ green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• ½ bunch fresh curly parsley, chopped
• 6-7 sprigs fresh mint, stemmed and chopped.

Dressing:

• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 3 tbsp (45ml)
• OLiV Coratina Extra Virgin Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Soak the raisins in a bowl with water – the water should cover all the raisins. Let them soak on the counter for a minimum of 30 minutes.

2. Make the Couscous. In a medium pot, bring the chicken stock (or water and salt) to a boil. When the liquid is boiling, stir in the extra virgin olive oil and couscous (the water should cover the couscous). Take the pot off the heat and let the couscous steam for exactly 6 minutes (lid-on). After 6 minutes, take the lid off and use a fork to fluff the couscous. Transfer the couscous to a bowl to let it cool down to room temperature.

3. When the couscous has cooled to room temperature, add the diced bell peppers, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped parsley and mint, raisins (drained), and stir.

4. Add the dressing ingredients: the salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin, lemon juice and EVOO. Stir to combine, cover the bowl with a plastic film and chill for at least 2 hours before serving (the helps the couscous and raisins to soak up the dressing and for the flavors to meld). This Couscous salad should have a slightly moist, pleasantly “chewy” consistency after the 2 hours.

   Keeps well in an air-tight container, chilled, for up to 5 days.