If you want an alternative to pasta salad you need to try this Southwest Couscous Salad. It a delicious and beautiful salad option for spring and summer.
SOUTHWEST COUSCOUS SALAD
I don't know about you, but I go to a lot of gatherings and pasta salads are very popular. It gets boring eating the same old thing over and over again.
Yes, I love my Tex-Mex Pasta Salad as much as the next person….but why not try something totally different for a change??
I think you will be surprised how tasty this Southwest Couscous Salad is and how much guests will enjoy it.
INGREDIENTS FOR SOUTHWEST COUSCOUS SALAD
This is a great salad for summer because it has fresh veggies in it! A great way to use those garden veggies.
- Couscous
- Chicken Broth
- Butter
- Black Beans
- Sweet Onion
- Red Bell Pepper
- Green Bell Pepper
- Parsley
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Southwest Corn
- Chopped Green Chiles
- Taco Sauce
- Olive Oil
- Brown Sugar
- Chili Powder
- Cumin
- Garlic Salt
- Seasoned Pepper
HOW TO MAKE SOUTHWEST COUSCOUS SALAD
I love the bright colors in this easy couscous salad recipe! It is almost too pretty to eat, LOL.
STEP ONE: MAKE COUSCOUS
The first step is to make the couscous. Take a medium saucepan and add the butter and chicken broth. Bring these to a boil and then stir in the couscous. Remove the pan from the heat.
Let this sit for at least 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork.
STEP TWO: VEGGIE PREPARATIONS
While the couscous is sitting you can work on the veggies.
Chop the onions, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes. You can also go ahead and chop up the fresh parsley.
STEP THREE: COMBINE
Grab a colander and drain, strain and rinse the black beans. Set the black beans aside for now.
Take a large bowl and add all the chopped veggies and the parsley.
Drain the corn and add it to the bowl.
Now add the black beans and green chiles to the bowl and stir to combine everything.
STEP FOUR: SEASONING MIX
In a separate small bowl combine all the seasonings with the taco sauce and olive oil. Whisk it all together to make a dressing.
STEP FIVE: FINISH SALAD
Pour the dressing over the mixture of veggies and beans and stir to combine.
Add the couscous into the bowl and stir well to complete the salad.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for an hour so the flavors blend well.
When you are ready to serve feel free to top this salad with toppings like: bacon bits, shredded cheese, chopped green onion, etc.
SOUTHWEST COUSCOUS SALAD RECIPE
I know you are ready to make this pretty salad! You can print off the entire ingredient list and instructions via the recipe card below.
This Southwest Couscous Salad is a great alternative to the standard pasta salad. It is full of fresh veggies and flavor.
- 1 cup Couscous I used Near East Brand
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 15 - 16 ounce can of black beans
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- 3 green onions chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh washed parsley chopped
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes chopped
- 14 - 16 ounce can of Southwest Corn I used Del Monte, drained
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Taco Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon Cumin
- 4.5 ounce can of chopped Green Chiles I used El Paso Brand
- 1 teaspoon Coarse ground Garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon Seasoned Pepper
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In a medium saucepan, add the chicken broth and butter, and bring to a boil, stir in the Couscous, and Remove pan from heat, and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork, breaking up any chunks of couscous. I left the couscous sitting in the pan while I prepared the vegetables, and then fluffed with a fork.
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In a colander, or strainer, drain and rinse the black beans, and set aside.
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Take a large bowl, add the chopped sweet onion, chopped red and green peppers, chopped parsley, tomatoes, and green onions.
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Drain the Corn, and add the corn to the bowl.
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Add the Green Chiles, and black beans to the bowl, and stir to blend.
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In a separate small bowl, mix the taco sauce, olive oil, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, garlic salt and seasoned pepper; whisk all ingredients to blend well, and pour over vegetables, and mix well to make sure vegetables are coated in the sauce.
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Add the couscous to the vegetables, and stir well to blend the salad together.
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Cover and chill in the refrigerator for an hour, and serve.
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS - Crumbled bacon, chopped tomatoes, chopped green onion, shredded cheese, or your favorite toppings.
Serving size is 1/3 cup. There are 4 servings.
If you are following Weight Watchers this is 8 points per serving on the blue and purple myWW plans. It is 12 points on the green plan.
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Don't forget to PIN this recipe so you can come back and make it again!
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