Bored with potato or pasta salads? Why not try a grain bowl recipe for a change of pace! I guarantee this flavorful couscous grain salad is a delight for the eyes and your palate and will have your friends and family begging for the recipe!
In the past few weeks, I’ve made it three times: once just for the two of us, then for a casual dinner party where I was cooking for some of Don’s colleagues, and again for our visiting daughter, SIL, and darling grandbaby! Yep, we’re officially grammy and pappy or whatever we will be called, the little cherub is all smiles and jibberish at this point 🙂
Cuteness aside, this salad comes together so quickly and has a wonderful balance of flavors and texture: a little sweet and a little savory—pleasantly chewy couscous, bright flavors of lemon and cranberries, crunchy nuggets of gai lan (Chinese broccoli), and pine nuts. Instead of fresh cilantro and parsley, I used the next best thing to fresh herbs – Gourmet Garden organic herb paste.
Gourmet Garden Herb Pastes to the Rescue!
I was first introduced to this wonderful concept at Camp Blogaway, where Gourmet Garden had all of us cooks and bloggers doing what we love doing most – creating and playing with food. It was a fun hands-on demo where we squirted, mixed, and then taste-tested our own crudité dips.
Ideally, I prefer to use fresh herbs but when I buy fresh packages or bunches I inevitably find myself throwing some away a week later. Since I no longer have my kitchen garden, and my potted herbs were drowned in the rain, the Gourmet Garden herbs have come to the rescue when I’m too busy to run to the store. Plus, I don’t feel guilty about wasting – their tubes of herbs last up to 3 months in the fridge.
What is Gai Lan?
I raved about gai lan in my Double Duty Dinners: Asian Short Ribs post where I included it in both the Short Rib Stew and the Asian Noodle Soup with Beef, Tofu and Greens. The 50 Best Plants on the Planet cookbook states that it’s understandable why gai lan is one of the most popular vegetables at Asian restaurants around the globe. It has an appealing crunch and a flavor profile that can be addictive (I am). The stalk, leaves, and the clusters of tightly packed buds have a delectable balance of sweet and peppery flavors. The taste is somewhat reminiscent of rapini, but the bitterness is more subdued by its sweetness. Thank you to Melissa’s Produce and Cathy Thomas for this wonderful compilation of recipes and information on the 50 most nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables, no kitchen should be without it.
Pearl Couscous with Greens, Cranberries, and Pine Nuts
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Gourmet Garden Parsley
- 1 tablespoon Gourmet Garden Cilantro
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 8 oz. package pearl couscous (also known as Israeli couscous)
- 2 5 oz. packages baby greens, spinach or kale
- 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
- 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese, feta, or vegan cheese
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries
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Combine lemon juice, Gourmet Gardens Cilantro and Gourmet Gardens Parsley in a large bowl. Whisk in olive oil until well mixed.
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Make couscous according to package directions. When cooked, stir into dressing. Add greens so they wilt slightly from the heat of the couscous. Add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Bob's Red Mill makes a gluten free Pearl couscous.
- Recipe from Gourmet Gardens.
Gourmet Garden’s herbs are organically grown and are simply washed, chopped, blended, and packed into tubes to maintain all their fresh taste and nutrition. They’re an ideal solution for busy cooks who don’t want to lose out on flavor for their weekday cooking. They even have exotics like Lemon Grass so you don’t have to search specialty markets when you find a Thai or Asian recipe that’s calling your name but no lemongrass on hand. Here in So Cal, Albertson’s and Von’s stores carry Gourmet Garden, although the stores that I frequent only carry the Garlic, Basil, and Cilantro – and sometimes I see the Lemon Grass or Italian Herbs – depending on the store. Check the fresh produce section of your local supermarket next time you’re shopping.
Happy Easter!
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Rainbow Chard with Mango and Couscous from Ally’s Kitchen
Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts
Edited to change recipe format to WP Recipe Maker 3/27/18.
Edited to improve SEO 5/12/20.
I love couscous, what a lovely salad for spring!
Priscilla, we love your substitution of gai land in here. What a great vegetarian lunch or dinner salad this would be!
We’re going to feature this on our Facebook page and link here so people can see how you made it, and your lovely photography. If you wish, come LIKE us on Facebook for more recipes and tips on super healthy Asian green vegetables like baby bok choy, gai lan, dau miu, yu choy, gai choy, etc. https://www.facebook.com/Jade.Asian.Greens
–Your friendly Southern California farmers at Jade Asian Greens
https://www.facebook.com/Jade.Asian.Greens
Thank you for linking up! And I already LIKE your Facebook page 🙂
A wonderful couscous salad, Priscilla.
Those Gourmet Garden Herbs look like a great idea!! I will have to look into them. I too hate wasting herbs 🙁 This couscous looks very similar to one I got from Whole Foods and really enjoyed. Love the dried cherries especially!
Oh, this salad has my name written ALL over it! Will definitely be adding it to my lunch rotation! And I will definitely be picking up some of the Gourmet garden herb mixes – can’t wait to try them out!
I don’t often use couscous, but just picked some up at our local Trader Joe’s. It sounds like this is a family and company pleasing recipe. This likes a good use for my purchase.
I adore those garden gourmet things. I use them all the time. Couscous doesn’t get used nearly as much as I would like in my house, this looks great
I have been seeing the Gourmet Garden brand in more and more places. They must really be doing great. GREG
Great recipe – and thanks for the GF couscous recommendation! I always mean to get to Sprouts to pick one up there but it’s out of my way. I’ll have to add your suggestion to my Amazon wish list.
I looked at the ingredients on the Gourmet Garden brand, and I wanted to bring the xanthan gum and fructose ingredients to the attention of those who may want to purchase it. Xanthan gum is made from molding broccoli and the fructose raises blood sugar. It has a high glycemic factor. This not an organic product.
Hi Sandy – In response to your comment – from Healthline.com: Xanthan gum is a food additive created by a sugar (usually from soy, corn or wheat) that is fermented by a bacteria. It’s a soluble fiber and commonly used to thicken or stabilize foods. The article goes on to say that… It (Xanthan gum) is believed that it turns fluids in your stomach and small intestine into a viscous, gel-like substance. This slows digestion and affects how quickly sugar enters your bloodstream, decreasing blood sugar spikes after eating (4).
I have been using Gourmet Garden for years and love it. Your recipe looks absolutely delicious!
the recipe says 1-3/4 cups uncooked – then next bullet point, 2 packages baby greens, spinach or kale – what does the 13/4 cups refer too? the greens?
Hi Janet – Sorry about that. I think it was a “typo” that happened when I converted the recipe to a new format. I checked it against the original and all is correct now. Originally, the recipe included 1 cup cooked shredded chicken, which you could add – I made it vegetarian.
Hi, sound great! but I have a question, 8oz of couscous for 10 servings? 8oz (1cup) is like…, for 2 servings
Thanks in advance!
Hi Rodolfo – the number of servings is based on the couscous salad being a side dish. Of course, this depends on how hungry you are! Feel free to double the amount of couscous but then you should also double the add-ins. 8 ounces of dry couscous makes about 2 cups cooked.