Cucumber, Tomato & Couscous Salad

The weather is pushing triple digits and I don't know about y'all, but when it's this hot, I crave crisp salads and cool side dishes! This Cucumber, Tomato & Couscous Salad is the best of both...cool, crunchy & filling without weighing you down. 

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This salad is like a hybrid of our Tasty Tabouli Salad and the Cucumber, Tomato & Red Onion Salad, both equally fresh and delicious! This version is filled with crunchy English cucumbers, juicy grape tomatoes & diced red onion. The veggies get tossed with oil & vinegar, herbs & spices and light-n-fluffy couscous. 

Since this is meant to be a cold dish, you can skip the stovetop altogether and soak one cup of dried couscous in cool or room temperature water in a medium sized bowl. The couscous will absorb the water, so add a little more at a time, until it's tender. *This recipe uses Moroccan couscous, the variety with the smallest grains. It can usually be found in most grocery stores, near the rice, or you can grab some online here or here.

While the couscous is soaking, you can start chopping up the veggies. A small dice is nice on the cucumber and onion and a longways cut on the grape tomatoes, but you can get creative and slice or dice in whatever size/shape you fancy! Add in some chopped parsley for freshness & some creamy feta cheese for a nice filling protein. Toss everything together with some red wine vinegar, grapeseed or olive oil, dried mint & sumac and a little salt & pep. The longer it sits, the better it gets, so this can be made a day ahead of time. 

Side note...I have to show off these adorable measuring spoons. The ceramic (?) spoon set was a gift from my grandmother, who knows we spend a lot of time in the kitchen! You can find them right here.

This couscous salad makes a great summer side, but you can make it a filling meal by adding your favorite lettuce and some marinated grilled chicken. Keep any leftovers in the fridge for lunch the next day!