Whole Foods’ Cranberry & Nut Couscous Salad

Whole Foods’ Cranberry & Nut Couscous Salad is a great side dish for your family dinner. It is the perfect dish to bring to a party. And it’s  lovely as lunch the next day.

I was on the phone with one of my aunts as she was preparing dinner: baked breaded chicken breasts, a spinach salad, and this couscous. It sounded so tasty that I went out the very next day to buy the ingredients to make the exact same dinner. This couscous salad is sometimes available in the Whole Foods prepared foods section. I found a few different versions of it on the Internet and combined them to make my own version. Trig and I really enjoyed it and would have fought over the leftovers if Raffi hadn’t loved it even more. It’s a great dish for the whole family: the adults like the combination of flavors, and the kids love the colors and different textures.

When I first made this I put a bowl aside for Raffi before adding the nuts, but now that he has more teeth I give it to him the same way I prepare it for us.

This Whole Foods’ Cranberry & Nut Couscous Salad should be on your dinner table tonight.

Whole Foods’ Cranberry & Nut Couscous Salad
Serves 6 as a side

Ingredients:
2.5 cups Israeli couscous (it’s the big round balls)
1/2 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
2 scallions, minced
4 T olive oil
2 T white wine vinegar (all the instructions called for champagne vinegar but we don’t stock any)
1 orange, zested
1/2 orange, juiced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Prepare the couscous according to the instructions (I boil ours like pasta in salted water for 8 minutes and then drain).
2. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, turmeric, dried thyme, tarragon, salt and pepper.
3. Mix together the couscous, nuts, dried cranberries and dressing in a bowl and enjoy! We like this both room temperature and cold.

*Recipe inspiration from Epicurious and the ingredients list on the prepared salad sold at Whole Foods.