Couscous Chive Pesto Salad

Couscous Chive Pesto Salad


An herby fresh salad, that can be a great appetizer or a full meal with an added protein.




Sometimes it can be hard to find ways to use up your basil at the end of its season. Everyone always says to make pesto! What can you do with all that pesto? Well if you need ideas, I really suggest making this salad. It’s fresh and herby, and very satisfying! Let me know if you like it down in the comments!

Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2-3

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

Pesto

  • 2 cups fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup fresh chives
  • 2 Garlic cloves
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup Olive oil
  • 1/2 Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 1/2 of a lemon (juice)
  • Salt to tast

Salad

  • 1 cup dry couscous
  • 15 cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 2-3 mini cucumbers, or 1 English cucumber
  • 6 leafs of romaine lettuce 
  • 1/2 of a lemon (juice)
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup Toasted sunflower seed (optional)

Instructions

  1. Boil couscous by instructions.
  2. Add all pesto ingredients to a blender/food processor, except minus lemon juice. Blend throughly.
  3. After blended taste for salt. Add in lemon juice and mix by hand.
  4. Wash and dry all produce, cut to desired size. Place in a large mixing bowl.
  5. After couscous is cooled off, add in pesto. I used almost all but had about 2tbsp leftover. Mix throughly. TIP see below
  6. Add pesto couscous into large mixing bowl with produce. Mix throughly.
  7. Add lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Top with a protein if desired, I prefer a medium rare steak. 
  9. Enjoy!

Tips & Notes

  • For leftover pesto you can add it into meatballs! see my other recipe here for that.

Leave a Reply