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Course Salads
Difficulty Easy
Pulse Type Beans
Specialty Diet Vegetarian
Occasion Summer Salads
Nutrition 1/2 cup serving
Recipe Contributed By Lovely Little Kitchen

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White Bean Couscous Salad with Lemon and Dill

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 5 minutes
servings

Ingredients

Salad:

  • 2 cups white beans, great northern; cooked
  • 3 cups Israeli couscous
  • 2 cups mixed greens, baby
  • 1/4 cup onion, red; diced
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, salted, roasted
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbles
  • 1/2 cup cucumber, English; chopped or sliced
  • 1 tbsp dill, fresh; chopped

Lemon Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup olive oil, extra virgin
  • 2 tbsps lemon juice, fresh squeezed
  • lemon zest, from half a lemon
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp mustard, Dijon
  • 1 tbsp dill, chopped fresh
  • 1 tbsp feta cheese, crumbles

Instructions

Beans:

  • No soak method: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place two cups of rinsed dried white beans in a Dutch oven (or other oven safe pot) and cover with 1 inch of water. Bring to a gentle boil on the stovetop over high heat, and then cover and transfer to the oven for 60-75 minutes. When beans are soft and creamy in the center, they are done. If beans are still firm in the center, add 10 minutes and recheck. Drain excess liquid and cool. This will yield about 5 cups of cooked beans. Refrigerate or freeze unused portion for later use.

Couscous:

  • In a medium size pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Toast 8 ounces of couscous in the hot oil, stirring it around for 3-4 minutes. Slowly add 1 3/4 cups chicken broth, bring to a boil, and the cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork, and allow to cool to room temperature.

Salad:

  • This salad is very versatile. You can assemble the salad with a bed of baby greens and the white beans, couscous, red onion, pepitas, feta cheese, cucumber and dill as toppings, or you can make the white beans and couscous the base with the baby greens and other toppings chopped into bite size pieces and mix all together as the last two images above show. Make it to your own preference, tasting as you go. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Lemon Dressing

  • Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Add to salad to taste.
  • *Be sure to taste your dressing! Not all lemons are created equally, so dip a leafy green into the dressing to check if the lemon flavor is coming through.
    ** These amounts will lightly dress the salad, feel free to double if you like more!
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