Warm couscous salad with garlic-lime dressing
I’ve been making somethings that might seem a bit complicated or time-consuming, so I thought I’d switch it up a bit and share one of my favorite quick-n-easy go-to recipes that I’ve been making for years.
Couscous has got to be the quickest and easiest grain to cook. This is because most varieties of couscous sold in supermarkets have been pre-steamed and dried. As a result you only need to add hot water. So, it takes less time to prepare than other grains, pasta and rice. Normally you just boil the required water, add the couscous and remove the pot from the heat and those tiny balls of semolina soak up that water and are ready to eat in around 5 minutes!
Couscous also has a pretty good protein content too. Sometimes, all the times I’ve been asked “Where do you get your protein, protein, protein…?” echoes in my head, and then I in turn feel the need to tell you – so I hope you don’t mind, or find it useful, or have already slipped on by to the recipe! But since we’re on the subject, couscous is about 12% protein by weight and then we have the cashews weighing in at about 18% protein. So while this meal is quick and simple, it’s got some good stuff in it and we didn’t even get to the broccoli!
I’ve always liked broccoli. I remember President Bush “banning” broccoli from the White House and that might have even further cemented my love of this awesome green veggie! Seinfeld once asked Newman if he would “eat broccoli if it was deep-fried in chocolate sauce.” Bush, Newman – see where this is headed? Eat your broccoli folks!
My favorite way to cook broccoli, to keep all that wonderful flavor intact, is steaming. Normally I have no problems firing up all the burners on the stove and timing the heating of 3 or 4 different pots and pans – I think it’s fun. But not every one shares my love of dirtying every pan in the kitchen! So, for the sake of simplicity and speed, you can saute the leeks and broccoli in the same pan, at the same time, and then after about 5 mins, just add just a little water and cover the pan to finish them off.
Last but not least we have a simple, but very refreshing lime, garlic and herb dressing. I’ve been in contact with more and more of you on Instagram, Facebook and here on the blog, and I understand that what’s available to me in Sweden, may not be what you have in the US, the UK, Australia, or Korea. I’ve been making this dish for years and years, using normal crème fraîche originally, but now I am happy to have oat-based crème fraîche available to me. Non-dairy oat-based products are really big here – we have creme fraiche, cooking cream, milk, vanilla sauce, cream cheese, and lots of different oat milks, just to name a few! Sometimes they have a distinctive aftertaste, others not, but throw in some freshly squeezed lime, garlic and herbs, and oh, my mouth is watering already.
So there you have it – warm couscous salad with garlic-lime dressing – a dish that is quick, easy, healthy and of course – delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 Cups (4.8 dl) - couscous
- ca 1 Tbsp (15 ml) - vegetable stock
- 1 large or two smaller leeks, sliced
- 2 lbs (ca 1 kg) - broccoli (about 2 heads depending on their size, chopped into florets
- vegan margarine
- herb seasoning salt
- 1 cup ( 2.4 dl) - cashews
- 1 cup ( 2.4 dl) - plant-based crème fraîche or sour cream
- juice from one lime
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- dried herbs of your choice (I usually use something like an "herbs de provence" mix including marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano, tarragon and basil)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Use the amount of water that is recommended on your couscous package for the amount you choose to cook, add the vegetabel stock and heat to a boil. Add the cous cous and remove the pot from the burner.
- Heat the vegan margarine in a frying pan, add the chopped broccoli and leeks, and sauté both until they get a little color. Add a little water, and cover the pan to finish cooking the broccoli.
- Mix the plant-based crème fraîche or sour cream, lime juice, garlic and herbs and salt/pepper to taste.
- Empty the now cooked couscous into the frying pan with the broccoli and leeks, and mix lightly. Top with cashews and serve together with the garlic lime dressing.