How to Make Couscous, Cranberry and Cucumber Summer Salad

As summer time rolls around, you may be interested in trying some different fresh flavors rather than the traditional boring, old salad.  Couscous is very light and fluffy in texture, with a mild, slightly nutty flavor.  It tastes great hot or cold, is available at any supermarket or health food store, and is the base for many great salads – including this one: couscous, cranberry and cucumber salad.

To make this couscous salad, you will need:

Half a cup dried couscous

Half a cup dried cranberries

1 cup of boiling water

Half a cucumber (finely diced)

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, or vinaigrette salad dressing

Steps:

To begin, pour all of the couscous into a medium Tupperware tub (make sure it is heatproof).  Pour the boiling water over the top, and drop in all the cranberries.  Stir with a fork to mix all of the water in.

Put the lid back on the Tupperware container.  Leave to soak for 10 minutes.  The couscous will inflate to an extra third of its original size once the water makes it expand, so don’t fill your container too full!

When done, fluff your couscous up with a fork.  Top with the cucumber and sprinkle with the balsamic vinegar to taste.  Leave to cool in the refrigerator, and serve inside crispy iceberg lettuce leaf ‘cups.’

VARIATION: Hot Couscous With Peas and Cheese

To prepare couscous as a super-fast hot meal, omit the cucumber and cranberries, and add frozen peas at the same time as you add hot water.  Put the lid on to heat them.

When all the water is absorbed after 10 minutes, open the Tupperware lid, fluff the couscous as before, and add in cubes of firm mozzarella cheese or cubes of precooked chicken.

Then fold into the couscous.  Close the lid and let the heat from the couscous heat the chicken and melt the cheese.

This is either the fastest meal or most satisfying snack ever, and is extremely filling.