Romaine Salad with Couscous Confetti

By Martha Rose Shulman

Published September 1, 2014

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(153)
Comments
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You can use regular couscous or Israeli couscous for this lemony, confetti-like mixture of couscous, mixed diced peppers and mint. I categorize this salad as a salad with grains rather than a grain salad (I know, couscous isn’t a grain, but it plays a grainy role here), as there’s more lettuce than couscous.

Featured in: Couscous Salads, Big Bowls and Casseroles

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 6

  • ⅔ cup finely diced peppers, preferably a mix of red, green and yellow peppers

  • 1 ½ cups reconstituted regular or Israeili couscous

  • ¼ cup, tightly packed, fresh mint leaves, cut in slivers or chopped (more to taste)

  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

  • ⅓ cup extra- virgin olive oil

  • ½ to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (to taste)

  • 2 romaine hearts, cut crosswise into 1-inch thick chiffonade (about 5 cups)

  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

38 grams carbs; 292 calories; 9 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 13 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 376 milligrams sodium; 7 grams protein; 1 gram sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium bowl, combine peppers, couscous, and mint. Whisk together lemon juice and salt. Whisk in ¼ cup of the olive oil. Toss half of this mixture with the couscous and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.

  2. Step 2

    Whisk mustard and remaining olive oil into remaining dressing. Taste and adjust salt.

  3. Step 3

    In a large bowl, toss lettuce with remaining dressing. Add freshly ground pepper to taste. Taste, and if it tastes too lemony, add another tablespoon of olive oil. Add couscous mixture and toss together again. Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
153 user ratings
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Comments

RGG

I added some feta to this to make it a lunch salad with protein and it was delicious. I also added raisins and they worked well but the feta really elevated it.

julia

This was easy and tasty! I added sliced almonds and rotisserie chicken for some protein. Next time I will add feta too, like the other commenter.

Claire

So good. Tasted it before putting the couscous, mint, and peppers mixture in the fridge, and honestly I'd eat just that. Omitted mustard from the dressing since mine was expired.

calindyfla

This recipe was easy and so refreshing. I served it alongside grilled chicken for an easy, healthy-ish summer dinner. In the last step, I tossed the lettuce with half the dressing and then served the couscous mixture in a separate bowl to spoon over the top of the dressed lettuce. Leftovers kept much better this way!

RTM

careful — the prep time shows 20 minutes but right there in step 1, “refrigerate for an hour or more.” This after the couscous has been prepared. All told this recipe took an hour-plus and that’s with chilling in the freezer after step 1

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