Guest Recipe: Kale Couscous Spring Salad

This week I decided to bring in a guest chef, my roommate Zoe Gruszczynski. Growing up Zoe loved having fresh meals from her dad’s evergrowing garden. “I’ve always had an appreciation for seasonal dishes,” she says. “Learning to cook with what was being harvested is important to connect to the food you’re eating.” This week she made a delicious salad that I needed to showcase. It was fresh, nutritious, and perfect for a sunny spring day.

Servings: 5-6

Cook Time: 30 minutes

What you’ll need:

1 cup of couscous 

2 cups of vegetable broth

1 bunch of Kale

1 orange bell pepper 

1 cucumber 

2 tomatoes 

1 can of garbanzo beans 

1/2 cup of feta cheese

3 tbsp Pesto 

1 tbsp of avocado or olive oil 

A pinch of salt 

A pinch of pepper 

Step by Step 

1. Start by cooking your couscous. Prepare by following package instructions but instead of cooking water, use vegetable broth. When done, couscous should be moist and fluffy. Once cooked, scoop into a salad bowl and place in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. While the couscous cools, prepare your vegetables. Make sure to wash them and then cut the orange bell pepper, cucumber, and tomatoes into bite-sized cubes. 

3. Next, drain your garbanzo beans and pour them into the couscous bowl along with the cut vegetables, kale, and feta.

4. Finally, make your dressing. In a small bowl mix pesto, avocado/olive oil, salt, pepper, and any other desired seasonings.

Enjoy!