Middle Eastern Salad Bouquet

Carbohydrates are not nutritional villains if the sources are correct such as nutrient-rich lentils, legumes, fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and dairy. One such healthy source is couscous made from whole grains like durum wheat. I continuously strive to come up with healthy and delicious salad recipes. Couscous and Black-eyed peas loaded with vegetables and microgreens salad is one such signature recipe that I came up with. I promise flavorful is an understatement for this pretty looking salad.

Enjoy the right carbs in their original natural packing, stay away from highly processed and refined sources such as white pasta, refined sugar, white bread, and sugary foods like candies, soda, and sweetened cereals.

INGREDIENTS

• One cup boiled black-eyed peas.
• 1/2 tsp oil.
  (It’s for sautéing black-eyed peas.)
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder.
• 1/4th tsp of cilantro powder.
  (Red chili and cilantro powders are for seasoning black-eyed peas.)
• 1/2 cup plain couscous.
  (I used zero sodium couscous made using durum wheat as shown in picture #1.)
• 1 tsp unsalted butter/olive oil.
• 1/2 chopped red onions.
• 1/4th cup diced (de-seeded) cubed tomatoes.
• 1/4th cup spring onions.
• 1 cup diced green and red bell peppers
• Two small pink radishes.
• One cup micro rainbow mix. Alternatively, use micro arugula.
  (I used micro arugula as the store ran out of micro rainbow mix during the recipe preparation. If the microgreens are not available, you can substitute it with finely chopped regular spring mix.)
• 1/2 cup micro cilantro.
• 1/4 tsp salt or as per your taste.
• 2 tsp spicy and zesty lemon dressing.
  (Please click here for the spicy and zesty lemon dressing recipe.)

RECIPE

(Serves as a meal for 2 people.)

• Boil 3/4th cup water.
• Once the water starts boiling, add couscous, butter, and salt. Give it a gentle stir.
• Let the couscous cook for a minute on a medium flame.
• Next, turn off the heat and let the couscous rest for 6 to 7 minutes.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add cilantro powder and red chili powder once the oil is hot. Sauté for 8 to 10 seconds.
• Next, add boiled black-eyed peas and sprinkle some salt. Mix well, and sauté for a couple of mins. Turn off the heat, and keep the peas aside.
• If you don’t like the raw flavor of bell peppers and onion, sauté them for a minute or two on a high flame. I prefer to sauté bell peppers on a high flame for a minute. In this recipe, I skipped sautéing raw onions.
• In a large bowl, add couscous, spread all diced and chopped veggies on it, as shown in picture #3.
• Next, sprinkle microgreens and arrange sautéd black-eyed peas on it.
• Finally, add the spicy and zesty lemon dressing, give it a gentle toss, transfer the healthy, pretty, and tasty salad in the serving plate, as shown in picture #4.
• Dig-in!

You can also use sprouted whole red lentils or chickpeas instead of black-eyed peas for variations. The salad is healthy, pretty, and incredibly delicious.