Author Notes: My friend Amy Spar originally made it for her cooking club, passed on the recipe to me, and I’ve changed it over the last five years. It’s truly become a summer staple. It’s nearly perfect because of it’s infinite variations and ability to expand or contract based on the size of your crowd or whether you’re serving it as a side or a main dish. —JenniferF
Serves: 8-10 as a side
Ingredients
for the couscous
-
2
cups water
-
1 1/4
cups whole wheat couscous (the texture and flavor hold up better than regular although regular will work)
-
1
head broccoli, separated into small florets and barely steamed
-
1/3
cup red onion, finely chopped
-
1
cup carrots, shredded
-
1/2
cup raisins or dried cranberries (I often use a combination, or use dried apricots, chopped)
-
1/2
cup roasted cashews or cashew pieces
-
1
can garbanzos (can use 2 if you love them)
-
1
cup crumbled feta
for the dressing
-
1 1/2
tablespoons white wine vinegar
-
3
tablespoons olive oil
-
1 1/2
tablespoons honey
-
2 1/4
teaspoons Muchi curry
-
1 1/2
teaspoons minced or ground ginger (fresh or bottled)
-
1 1/2
teaspoons salt
Directions
- Make couscous according to directions.
- Steam broccoli until crisp tender.
- Mix all couscous ingredients together except feta.
- Mix all dressing ingredients together.
- Toss dressing into couscous.
- Sprinkle feta over the top.
- Serve at room temperature. (Hot and cold work, too. Really, it is the world’s most forgiving dish.)