This salad is a lovely accompaniment to Moroccan tajines or spiced meats. The cumin and vegetable stock add a nice earthy/saltiness to the dish. The plump raisins and grenadine syrup add a touch of sweetness. This is all about flavour and balance. Feel free to add pomegranate seeds for greater impact!
Prep time: 20 minutes Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
½ cup unsalted cashews
2 cups of water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground cumin
½ cup golden raisins
2 tbsps. unsalted butter
2 cups couscous
1 bunch of parsley (very well rinsed, drained, and finely chopped)
¾ cup of fine diced carrot (washed and skin removed)
Dressing Ingredients
1 tbsp. grenadine syrup
¼ cup olive oil
4 tbsps. red wine vinegar
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Instructions
Set your oven to 350°F. When the oven has come to temperature, toast the cashews for 3-5 minutes on an unlined baking sheet. Once cooled, roughly chop the cashews and set them aside.
In a medium sized sauce pan, combine; water, vegetable stock, cinnamon, turmeric, ground cumin, raisins, and butter. Bring to a boil. Add the couscous; stir, cover and remove from heat. Wait 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the couscous with a fork before tasting. If it is too dry, add a ¼ cup boiling water; stir, and replace the lid for 5 additional minutes.
When the couscous is nicely fluffed and not soggy, add the cashews, parsley, and carrot. Toss to combine.
In a separate jar with a tight fitting lid, combine; grenadine syrup, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, ground cumin, and cinnamon. Seal the lid and shake to combine. Try the dressing with a spoonful of couscous salad. Make adjustments to the dressing if necessary before adding the dressing to the salad (i.e. add a touch more grenadine for sweetness, or more vinegar for acidity). Add the vinaigrette to the couscous salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
tyler christian brown 