Couscous and French Lentil Salad

This easy bean and pasta salad provides a wonderful showcase for a variety of fresh herbs. Feel free to experiment with whatever is available in the garden or the grocery store. Serve as a vegetarian main course or as a delicious side dish.

COUSCOUS and FRENCH LENTIL SALAD

For the Lentils
1 cup French green lentils (du Puy)
6 cups water
1 Tbs. Champagne vinegar

For the Couscous
1 tsp. olive oil
1¼ cups Israeli (pearl) couscous
1½ cups chicken or vegetable broth

For the Dressing
6 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. Champagne vinegar
1 Tbs. dry white wine
2-4 large garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

To Finish the Salad
3 small seedless cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1 bunch of scallions, white part chopped, green tops sliced
½ to 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, basil, dill, or a combination

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1. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add lentils, return to boil, cover and simmer until tender but not falling apart, 13-15 minutes. Rinse to cool. Transfer lentils to bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon of champagne vinegar.

2. Bring broth to simmer in a small saucepan. Heat ½ Tbs. olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Toast the couscous in the oil, stirring constantly over medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Add boiling broth. Cover and simmer for five minutes, then remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to large bowl. Fluff to remove clumps and let cool. (Couscous may be rinsed in cold water to cool more quickly.)

3. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, wine, garlic, and salt and pepper. Stir dressing into couscous. Fold in lentils and remaining ingredients. Chill well. Serves 6.

Israeli Couscous with Pine Nuts

Whether you call it seksu, kuskus, or keskesu, couscous is a versatile and delicious dish. This North African staple has been around for centuries, traveling all over and leaving recipes in medieval cookbooks from Morocco to Brittany.

These tiny round grains of semolina pasta may be steamed or simmered in a variety of broths and served as a main course or side dish. I prefer the larger version, called pearl or Israeli couscous, and I’ve been making gorgeous salads with it all summer.

Israeli/pearl couscous comes in many flavors and may be made of different grains, such as barley or whole wheat. For this recipe, I used a tri-color semolina couscous for a festive touch and simmered it in homemade vegetable broth. We enjoyed it with grilled fish and steamed veggies, but this would be an outstanding side dish for a multitude of main courses.

ISRAELI COUSCOUS with PINE NUTS

3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil                       1¾ cups pearl couscous
1 large shallot, chopped                            2 cups simmering broth
4 scallions, white parts chopped,             1 tsp. salt
       green stems sliced into rounds          ½ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped                        Fresh parsley, chopped

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1.  Heat 2 Tbs. olive oil in a deep sauté pan (I use a non-stick pan for this recipe). Add the shallot and scallion whites and stir until tender and just starting to brown, about 7 minutes.

2.  Stir in remaining Tbs. olive oil and garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the couscous and stir until the granules are coated with oil and no longer clump together, 2-3 minutes.

3.  Stir in heated broth and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, 10-12 minutes, until broth is absorbed. Stir occasionally.

4.  Remove from heat. Stir in half the pine nuts and the parsley. Garnish with scallion greens and serve, passing the rest of the pine nuts at the table. Leftovers reheat well. Serves 4-6.