Black Bean Couscous Salad |Cooking With Amanda

When it comes to quick and easy salad recipes, couscous is the one ingredient that cannot be beat. What do I mean by that? Well, you don't even need to cook it! Just pour boiling water over the couscous, soak for 5 minutes and away you go. Then fluff with a fork and mix in loads of your favorite vegetables.

Couscous goes really well with grilled veggies like zucchini and eggplant, but it also is delicious with sautéed broccoli, asparagus, and green beans.

However, one of the easiest ways to make your couscous salad is by chopping raw veggies like peppers and onions and adding some black beans like I just did with this recipe. I promise you this is really good. Hum… yummy! You may pair your couscous salad with roast chicken, beef, or a broiled salmon to make this dish a complete main course. But, you can also serve this salad plain as a side with rice at a BBQ. This light and easy couscous is the perfect meal for a picnic or a potluck party.

In this recipe I didn't add any type of cheese, but usually when I make this recipe my husband tops it with feta cheese and he swears that it brings even more flavor to it. So, if you are a cheese lover, it may be a good option for you. This salad is packed full red onion, bell pepper, and black beans - delicious flavours that work together really well. The best part of this couscous salad is that the leftovers stores well refrigerated for several days. This is a great healthy and delicious salad to make ahead of time and have on hand for lunch. I pre-made this salad to have something ready for my busy weekdays. I have to say that it tasted amazing warm, but it is also delicious after sitting in the fridge for two hours.

Here are a few tips for making this salad even better:

Rinse your black beans really well, or else you may end up with gray or darker couscous, which is not all very appetizing.
Even after you cook the couscous it will continue to absorb liquid because it is very absorbent. For this reason, if you think you need more homemade dressing go ahead and add some more.

If you follow these tips I am sure you salad will be a huge success and you will receive lots of compliments. I hope you give this salad a try and enjoy it.

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Black Bean Couscous Salad Recipe

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Ingredients

2 cups couscous
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, save some for garnishing
1/3 cup homemade vinaigrette dressing

Directions

In a medium heatproof bowl, pour 1 cup boiling water over the couscous.
Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.
Uncover, fluff with a fork, and set aside to let cool for 5 minutes more.
In the same bowl used to cook the couscous, add the black beans, onions, bell pepper, and parsley. Stir really well along with the homemade vinaigrette. Taste and adjust the seasoning if you think it is necessary. Serve immediately.