Lemony Couscous Lentil Salad

Guest post and recipe by Amy of StreamingGourmet.com!

Perfect for a summer picnic, or even just lunch at work, this easy Lemony Couscous Lentil Salad is bursting with fresh flavors (not to mention fiber and vitamins). Mollie Stone’s new line of infused olive oils is wonderful for salads like this one. This particular variation on lentil salad features the tang of lemon, the bite of fresh arugula and the rich flavors of tarragon and Dijon mustard.

Add this to your 4th of July picnic line up for a healthy, hearty change of pace! Keep reading for the recipe.

LEMONY COUCOUS LENTIL SALAD
Recipe by StreamingGourmet for Mollie Stone’s Markets

INGREDIENTS

For the salad:

  • 2 cups dried lentils
  • 1 cup dried tricolor pearl couscous
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 medium red onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 1/2 cups arugula

For the vinaigrette:

  • 1/4 cup Mollie Stone’s Nonna Luisa Limone Olive Oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

After rinsing and picking over the lentils, bring 10 cups of water or stock to a boil in a large stockpot. Add lentils and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes. You want them to be tender-crisp and not mealy, so don’t overcook them!

Bring 1 1/4 cup of water with a slug of olive oil to boil in a saucepan. Add the pearl couscous and simmer gently, covered for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool it down quickly.

Add lentils and couscous to a large serving bowl and toss to combine and fluff. Toss the red and green bell pepper, onion, parsley and arugula.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk the ingredients together vigorously until fully emulsified. Add to the lentil-couscous mixture and toss to combine thoroughly. Serve luke-warm or chilled.