Couscous Salad with Spinach and Creamy Lemon-Chive Dressing

from Patricia Wells, author of Vegetable Harvest

via Jeanne Milligan

serves 8

Creamy Lemon-Chive Dressing

makes 1 1/4 cups (only 3 tablespoons are needed for the couscous salad)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or as needed

1 cup light cream

1/3 cup finely minced chives

Put lemon juice and salt in small jar, cover and shake to dissolve salt. Add I cream and chives. Shake to blend. Adjust salt to taste. Store, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week. Shake to blend before using.

Couscous Salad

1 cup medium-grained instant couscous

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cups loosely packed parsley leaves

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 spring onions or scallions, trimmed and cut into very thin slices

5 ounces fresh spinach leaves, cut into a chiffonade (4 cups, loosely packed)

3 tablespoons creamy lemon-chive dressing

Combine couscous and salt in a large shallow bowl. Toss with fork to blend. Add 1 1/3 cups of very hot tap water, and fluff until grains are separated. Set aside; fluff occasionally until liquid has been absorbed, about 3 minutes. Combine lemon juice, parsley and olive oil in food processor or blender and process until parsley is finely chopped, then toss with couscous and spring onions. This may be prepared ahead and refrigerated for up to 8 hours. To serve, toss spinach chiffonade with just enough dressing to evenly coat. Add to
couscous mixture and toss gently until blended.

What a grand idea that works! You get your fresh spinach and it perks up the couscous. It is really the dressing that makes it special.