Moroccan Couscous and Chickpea Salad

Submitted by tina rose

"you won't miss the meat. from cooksmart by pam anderson for usaweekend."

 

• Ready In: 25mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Yields: 6 cups
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 1 cup couscous
• 1⁄2 cup dried cherries
• 1 cup boiling water
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 large orange bell pepper, cut in bite-sized sticks
• 1 large onion, cut around its equator and cut into thin slices
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• salt
• ground black pepper
• 1 (16 ounce) can chickpeas, drained
• 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

directions

1. place couscous and dried cherries in a med. bowl. add boiling water; immediately cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit until water is completely absorbed, about 5 minutes.
2. meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. add peppers and onions, sauteing until tender, about 5 minutes, and seasoning with cumin, ginger, cinnamon, salt and pepper as they cook. add to couscous, along with chickpeas and cilantro.
3. whisk remaining 3 tablespoons of oil with vinegar and orange juice concentrate. pour over salad. toss to coat. cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Reviews

[anitam5678_12776984]

Excellent! I substituted quinoa for the couscous and parsley for the cilantro. Still delicious!