Description
A new twist on pasta or grain salad, this dish uses a Trader Joe’s pre-packaged combo and includes Israeli couscous, tri-color orzo, split baby garbanzos and red quinoa. While you can, oven dry some end-of-summer tomatoes and stash them in your freezer. They will add a nice flavor boost to salads like this, as well as pastas, soups, stews and anything else you might make this winter when the tomatoes in the store then will taste like cardboard.
Ingredients
Vinaigrette:
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salad:
- 1 1/4 cups Harvest Grains Blend
- 1/4 cup You’ll Thank Me in the Winter Oven-Dried Tomatoes, or sun-dried
- 1/4 cup Delft Blue Cheese, or other favorite blue
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
Instructions
Make the Vinaigrette:
Whisk together the ingredients and refrigerate until needed.
Make the Salad:
Cook grains or pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
Transfer to a mixing bowl and add tomatoes, cheese, parsley, and scallions. Stir to combine.
Toss with the dressing and refrigerate until serving time. Before serving, taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more lemon juice if needed and adding the almonds.
Notes
I used Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains blend, but you can make this with pasta, or your own combination of couscous, both regular and/or Israeli, orzo, quinoa or other favorites.
This salad is perfect for extra add-ins. I’m keeping it pretty simple here, but feel tree to add other vegs, bacon, different cheeses or whatever your little heart desires.
Makes 1 quart.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Sides
- Method: Stovetop
Keywords: cous cous salad