Lemony Couscous with Chickpeas and Feta Cheese

Potlucks, cookouts, and impromptu gatherings – that’s what summer is all about. So you want to bring a fresh, homemade side dish because you’re tired of store-bought potato salad but you don’t have a lot of time. If you can boil water and zest a lemon, we’ve got you covered. Despite this dish being easy and quick to make, the flavor profile nicely combines citrus from the lemons and salt from the feta cheese. In fact, we make this all the time because our neighbors have come to request it for most of our gatherings. We usually double the recipe and save some for leftovers. Try this at your next potluck and you’ll see how this will easily become a fresh, lighter, alternative.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 10-ounce box of couscous (makes about 1 ½ cups)
• 1 lemon
• ¼ cup Olive This! Whole Fruit Lemon Olive Oil
• 1 can (15½ ounces) of chick peas
• 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon of scallions, thinly sliced
• salt

DIRECTIONS

Prepare couscous according to directions on package. This usually involves bringing some water and butter or oil to a boil. Remove from heat, add couscous, cover and in about 5 minutes it’ll be done. Immediately fluff with a fork to prevent the couscous from sticking together in large chunks.

Wash the lemon well. Using a micro-plane grater, zest the entire lemon and set the zest aside. Juice the lemon (you’ll get about 3 tablespoons of juice) and set aside.

Add the cooked couscous to a large mixing bowl, continue to fluff with a fork to break apart any chunks. Add the lemon zest and drizzle the ¼ cup of lemon olive oil. Mix well and let couscous cool.

Once the couscous has cooled, add the 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and mix well.  Then add the can of chick peas, the 1 cup of feta cheese, and the ½ cup of sliced scallions. Toss well to combine all ingredients. Salt  to taste but go easy, feta cheese is typically already salty. Let couscous sit in the fridge for about an hour or two. Garnish with the reserved scallions and serve.

 

MAKES ABOUT 10 SERVINGS

Have a comment?  We’d love to hear from you.  Have you tried this dish?  Do you have a variation that you think others will enjoy?  Leave us a comment below.