Romaine Salad with Couscous Confetti

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.

Ingredients

• 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

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

    289 calories; 12 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 16 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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Serves 6

Preparation

1. In a medium bowl, combine peppers, couscous, and mint. Whisk together lemon juice and salt. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Toss half of this mixture with the couscous and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.
2. Whisk mustard and remaining olive oil into remaining dressing. Taste and adjust salt.
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.

20 minutes