Vegan

Spring Vegetable Couscous Salad

May  8, 2014

Vegan lunches can -- and should -- be a lot more interesting than bare salads or carrot sticks and hummus. New Veganism columnist Gena Hamshaw will be sharing inspiration for midday meals that stave off both hunger and boredom.

Today: Couscous gets its chance in the spotlight with this quick, spring lunch. 

Shop the Story

There’s nothing better than a lunch that can be ready in minutes, look and taste elegant, and fill you up quickly. This easy couscous salad fits the bill, and it’s perfect as a vehicle for spring produce -- in this case, I used tender steamed asparagus. 

With all of the enthusiasm for quinoa, millet, buckwheat, and other ancient grains lately, couscous tends to get overlooked. While it may not be quite as nutrient-rich as quinoa, or hearty as millet, it’s just about the fastest-cooking lunchtime staple that you could possibly whip up. If you’re in the mood for something a little crunchy, go ahead and get the whole wheat variety. 

More: Know your asparagus -- read these 5 links before cooking with the vegetable. 

To make this salad, I steamed a bunch of asparagus that I’d cut into 1 1/2-inch spears. Meanwhile, the couscous cooked -- a process that only takes about 10 minutes. When the couscous was ready, I stirred in the asparagus, along with about a half cup of finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes and a handful of toasted pine nuts. I finished the dish off with olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper, and fresh chives. It was so good that I’d have been happy serving it to guests -- but I was delighted to have such great leftovers the following day.

Photo by Gena Hamshaw

Order now

The Food52 Vegan Cookbook is here! With this book from Gena Hamshaw, anyone can learn how to eat more plants (and along the way, how to cook with and love cashew cheese, tofu, and nutritional yeast).

Order now

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

Gena is a registered dietitian, recipe developer, and food blogger. She's the author of three cookbooks, including Power Plates (2017) and Food52 Vegan (2015). She enjoys cooking vegetables, making bread, and challenging herself with vegan baking projects.

1 Comment

Liz B. May 8, 2014
Pretty pretty, and the variations are endless.

http://thatumamilife.wordpress.com - a clean eating bento blog. Japanese or Asian-inspired!