This Couscous Panzanella Salad is as fresh as the day is long.
Now – I realize this proclamation would pack a much bigger punch if it were say June 14th and not October 14th, with daylight savings, skip ahead, fall back, jump aside, summer equinox, winter solstice…you know where I’m going here…I know our days are short and getting shorter by the minute, but I promise this salad goes long and wide in the freshness department.
We’re combining some of my favorite veggies – red pepper, yellow pepper, hot pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes and organic whole peeled tomatoes. Yep, even my canned tomatoes are as fresh as fresh can be as they go from the field to the can in just eight hours.
I happened to be in the right place at the right time recently and was selected to receive a fun foodie pack from Muir Glen. It contained all sorts of awesome items with these juicy tomatoes at the center. Wow! The folks at Muir Glen do not mess around. Every summer for decades their farmers have harvested sun-drenched tomatoes from California Central Valley (Oh hey, California!) and canned them within eight hours so that we might savor the flavor of summer all year long. I will take it.
These tomatoes are sweet and delicious and a perfect complement to my panzanella.
You’re probably looking at this and saying, wait – where’s the bread? If you’ve had panzanella then you’re aware that it’s a Tuscan bread salad which comes together fresh in a bowl and includes crusty bread to sop up the delectable juices from the veggies.
We’re switching out our bread today for couscous, and like panzanella – there is no cooking required.
It’s made right in the serving bowl.
Once your olive oil, fresh lemon juice and veggies are assembled, you’ll pour the couscous over top, mix until the grains are completely combined, then – watch the cooking begin.
You’ll allow the salad to sit covered in the fridge for a couple hours or more, with a few stirs in the middle, and when you’re ready to eat, the couscous will be as soft and delicious as if you had boiled it separately and then added to the mix.
Yep, it’s that easy.
This technique comes from one of my favorite Italian chefs, David Rocco. And although the idea for panzanella came way before David, the idea for cooking couscous in the salad comes from his beautiful book, Made in Italy.
Which means, we can’t miss!
Buon Appetito!
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Couscous Panzanella Salad
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cups (14.5 oz.) canned, whole peeled tomatoes, chopped with juices
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 hot Italian pepper, chopped
- 1 yellow pepper, chopped
- 10 oz. cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 bunch fresh basil leaves, torn
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 1/4 cups (10 oz.) unprepared couscous
Instructions
- In a large serving bowl, add olive oil, lemon juice, peeled tomatoes with juices, red onion, chopped peppers, cherry tomatoes, half the basil, salt and pepper.
- Pour the uncooked couscous into the middle of the bowl and mix with the oil, herbs and vegetables very well, making sure the couscous is thoroughly mixed in.
- Let sit in the fridge until couscous has absorbed all the liquid, could take a few hours.
- About halfway through chilling, stir again.
- When the couscous is ready, add the remaining basil, mix and serve.
Ciao!
Roasted Red Onions with Walnut Salsa & Feta Salad
Mondays are the best!
Especially when Roasted Red Onions with Walnut Salsa & Feta Salad is waiting at the end of it.
I promise, the flavors in this salad will have as much positive power over your Monday evening as the words, “Mondays are the best!” have over your Monday morning.
The components of this dish pack incredible flavor, each in their own right, but together…a symphony of deliciousness. I don’t know about you but I get tired of the same-old same-old salad. And this salad is anything but…
I know I’m always singing the praises of the marriage between a scorching hot oven and (almost) any veggie, well, I am here to sing a little more. Roasted red onions are to this salad what peanut butter is to jelly, garlic is to a meatball, frosting is to cake… The union of 425 degrees and a sliced red onion is wedded bliss, my friends. You can bet I’ll be adding roasted red onions to everything. As a matter of fact, Nick threw a couple in his curry chicken salad for lunch the other day and it was the bomb.
Okay, okay – all this talk of onion and we’ve yet to discuss the walnut salsa. This salsa, the brainchild of Yotam Ottolenghi, is to this salad what a feather is to a cap. It elevates…
Of course it adds the crunch factor that all fabulous salads possess, but rather than throwing any old nut straight from its plastic bag or cardboard canister on top of this bright and peppery arugula and parsley salad, we’ve created a salsa consisting of chopped walnuts, jalapeño, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil and salt.
Who can’t get behind that?
And the final prized feature? (Yes, there’s more….)
Feta.
Feta.
Feta.
Hey – if this bright and vibrant salad has the power to get you through your Monday, imagine what it’ll do to every other day of the week!
Feathers and caps as far as the eye can see!
Buon Appetito!
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Roasted Red Onions with Walnut Salsa & Feta Salad
- Category: Salad
Ingredients
- 4 medium red onions
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 – 3 cups arugula
- 3/4 cup fresh parsley
- 3 – 4 oz. crumbled feta
- salt & black pepper, to taste
- Salsa
- 2/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 plump clove garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Peel the onions and remove the tops and tails.
- Cut each crosswise into 3 slices, and place on a baking sheet.
- Brush the slices with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
- Roast in the oven for about 40 minutes until onions are cooked and golden brown on top.
- Set aside to cool slightly.
- While the onions are cooking, put all the salsa ingredients in a small bowl, stir and set aside.
- To serve, put the arugula and parsley in a large bowl.
- Add all but 4 onion slices, the feta, and half the salsa.
- Toss carefully so the onions don’t fall apart.
- Divide among shallow plates, spoon the remaining salsa over top and add one slice of onion.
- Serve.
{Recipe adapted from Plenty More.}
Ciao!
Pan-Roasted Tuscan Corn Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
I can’t with this salad.
Pan-Roasted Tuscan Corn Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes. Sorry. It was worth repeating.
One of the first salads I made for Ciao Chow Bambina almost two summers ago was Ina Garten’s Fresh Corn Salad. It was a favorite then and it’s a favorite now. But I got to thinking, what can we do with a salad that’s already so pleasing…I mean, is it possible to improve upon perfection? And then it hit me. Garlic. Sun-Dried Tomatoes. Pepperoncini.
I guess the answer is, yes, it is possible.
Are you surprised? I didn’t think so.
This is what you’d call a recipe re-do. How fun is that?
I’ve taken all the fresh, tasty ingredients of the original recipe and enhanced them with a few Tuscan flavors and colors that take me right back to 2006 and our first trip to Italy.
Actually, it takes me back to the ride we took on the Eurostar from Rome to Florence, where we passed field upon field of sunflowers as high as the sky. My hunch is there were some poppies scattered about, too. It was a hot summer’s day, sun all ablaze, and the flowers of Tuscany seemed to only part ways for the train track to run through. It was all we could see for miles. Flowers the color of corn. Stunning.
So, I had the idea to prepare this salad for Memorial Day. The three kids will be home and I want to load ’em up with flavors they love. We’re heading to Philly this weekend as Nick’s team made it to the NCAA Finals for DII Lacrosse! Oh man! The girls are meeting us there and then traveling back home for the long weekend. Dom and I are busting to get there and be all together to cheer on our Dolphins! Go Phins!
I’ll keep you posted on that!
In the meantime, enjoy this salad.
Fresh kernels straight from the cob roasted in a little bath of garlic-y butter and olive oil. Once the corn is just tender, actually, I prefer to describe it as al dente, like we do our pasta…tender with a bite, you’ll mix it with diced red onion, chopped sun-dried tomato and pepperoncini and julienned basil. Top with a nice Italian vinaigrette, a little salt and pepper to taste, and you’ve got yourself summer in a bowl.
Good timing!
Buon Appetito!
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Pan-Roasted Tuscan Corn Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Category: Salad
Ingredients
- 6 ears of corn, husks and silks removed
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 plump clove garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup small-diced red onion
- 3/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomato
- 1/2 cup chopped pepperoncini
- 1/2 cup julienned fresh sweet basil leaves
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- When husks and silks are removed, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.
- In a large nonstick sauté pan over medium high heat, warm the butter and olive oil until butter is completely melted.
- Add the minced garlic and cook until it releases its aroma and just begins to brown, about 30 seconds.
- Add the corn and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden and just tender, about 7 – 8 minutes.
- Transfer the corn to a bowl and let cool.
- Add the remaining ingredients – red onion, sun-dried tomato, pepperoncini, basil, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper.
- Toss until fully combined.
- Adjust the seasoning as you like.
- Serve at room temperature.
Wait! I’m not done…How ’bout I share a few more of my favorite summer salads just in case you missed them the first time around…
And check out these fabulous recipes from around the web…
Blueberry, Nectarine & Burrata Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette from Eats Well With Others
Lemon Garlic Orzo with Roasted Veggies from Vanilla And Bean
Mediterranean Style Rainbow Quinoa Salad from Cooking LSL
Spring Couscous Primavera from No Spoon Necessary
Okay…now I’m done!
Have a happy and safe Memorial Day, my friends!
Ciao!
Quinoa, Edamame & Black Rice Salad
Do not mistake Red Split Lentils for Red Lentils! I repeat, do not mistake Red Split Lentils for Red Lentils. My PSA for the day.
That’s what I get for not doing my homework.
Dom and I have a new field trip destination. It used to be Wegmans, exclusively, but we’ve added another…and where Wegmans is the stoic and legendary sage of a grocery store, Trader Joe’s is its cool hip and happening little sibling…they each bring something special to the table, and we love them both!
One night last week we braved the cold and hit the plaza that houses Barnes & Noble and Trader Joe’s. Paradise. With new book and non-fat chai latte in hand, we scooted next door and sauntered about Trader Joe’s as if we had all night. I probably don’t need to tell you about the contents of our cart. Whole foods, clean ingredients, gluten-free and vegan (for the most part). I even got myself a bright bouquet of baby sunflowers. Heaven.
This field trip began with my quest for ingredients to build a salad. Not just any salad – one so perfect, so tasty and healthy, it would have the power to turn back the hands of time.
My goal: to build a medley of components so exemplary, a mélange – so healthy – we become younger by the forkful…a mixture that I, *president of the comfort food association, would choose to indulge in, week after week, and be very inclined to include in my weekly rotation of meals.
This was a tall order. Did we do it?
We nailed it! With the help of Trader Joe’s…Quinoa, Edamame & Black Rice Salad was born.
Quinoa, edamame, and black rice (together) form what I like to call, a triple threat. They pack a nutritional punch so strong – you just might find yourself screaming ‘Adrian’ when you’re done. Get it? Adrian…Rocky? Pack a punch? Thanks for playing along with me guys…I’m sure my kids appreciate the break!
I used tri-colored quinoa, but you could use any flavor you prefer. The same holds true for the rice, you could use a wild rice or a brown rice, each possess a lovely nutty hearty flavor, but I could not resist this color, this time. So rich and deep…it cooks up to the color of the darkest eggplant you’ve ever seen. Stunning.
So what do these fine ingredients, along with baby spinach, red bell peppers, tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, lightly toasted pumpkin seeds, flat-leaf parsley, extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice do for us? Let’s just say, if this salad were competing in the Superfood Olympics – it would earn a spot on the podium. We’ve got our anti-oxidants, fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and iron, covered, in a big way.
And why the Persian cucumbers, you might ask? They are seedless, sweet and crunchy. Cucumber perfection.
I thought for a minute about calling this – Fiber, Protein, & Vitamin Salad, but I wasn’t sure it sounded tasty enough.
This salad comes together pretty quickly. Once your quinoa, edamame and rice are cooked, you’ll simply toss them with your chopped red peppers, diced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and baby spinach which has been cut using a chiffonade technique (chiffonade means to stack the leaves one on top of another, roll them up to look like a cigar, then slice perpendicular to the roll to create little strips or ribbons), add a nice drizzle of lemon-y olive oil, then top with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and pumpkin seeds.
This salad is bright and nutty, earthy and textural, fresh and lemon-y.
It doesn’t get any better than this.
BUT WAIT! I’m not finished yet! Check out this article on 27 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Quinoa… I knew it was healthy…I never knew how healthy…until now!
Buon Appetito!
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Quinoa, Edamame & Black Rice Salad
- Category: Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 cup cooked edamame beans
- 1 cup cooked black rice
- 1 cup chopped red peppers
- 1 cup sliced Persian cucumbers
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 cup baby spinach, chiffonade cut
- 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
- 5 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- Kosher Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Once the quinoa, frozen edamame and black rice are prepared (cooked according to package directions), combine with red peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and spinach.
- Whisk the extra-virgin olive oil with the lemon juice and toss into salad.
- Top with parsley and pumpkin seeds.
- Add kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste.
* Just kidding about the comfort food association. Statement included solely for the purpose of hyperbole. I don’t believe there is a comfort food association. That would be kinda cool, though. wink
Ciao!