Couscous Chickpea Salad

Couscous Chickpea Salad with Lamb Chops and Snow Peas

For a refreshing change, I made a salad tonight that was light and bright-- a version of tabbouleh. It was a breeze to make.  Here's how:

First, make the couscous. It is so simple to make. Boil a cup of water, add a cup of couscous, pull it off the heat, cover it, and let it rest for 4 -5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Rinse and drain a can of chickpeas.  Lightly salt them.

Add bite-size tomatoes.  I used my windowsill-dried tomatoes.

Add cucumbers --- I used half of a seedless cucumber.

Add sliced scallions -- I used three -- and a feta cheese --- I used a goat's milk feta.  It was very salty so I didn't need to add much more salt after this point.

Add the couscous to the salad.

Now is when you add the brightness:  mint, parsley, and lemon zest.  Fresh is always better, but not always possible, so I used dried chervil, dried basil, garlic powder and lemon zest instead. 

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Make a dressing from the juice of a lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper and a tablespoon of honey. 

Add it to your salad, and toss it all together.

We served it with grilled lamb chops and sauteed snow peas.