I went to a baby shower last week and had the most scrumptious salad. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. It was light and lemony and hearty and sweet. It is my new favorite and I couldn't wait to make it myself. I scoured the internet and am pretty sure I found the right recipe.
The dressing is made of fresh basil leaves, shallots, lemon juice, buttermilk and mayo that I blended in my cuisinart. I'm sure it'd work in a blender, too. 
Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. 
Make the couscous and set aside. 
Slice up the tomato's (I left the smaller ones ones whole) 
Toss into a bowl with craisins, parmesan. Add to cooled couscous. Mix well. 
Isn't it gorgeous? Next add some dressing & arugula and mix well. Delicious!
It's best eaten on the patio while listening to Cannonball Adderley's "Somethin' Else" 
just after you've finished your game of chess & checkers (Henry is a huge fan).
Summer Couscous Salad
- 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 shallot, halved
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup grated Asiago cheese*
- 1/3 cup dried currants
- 1/3 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
- 1 10-ounce package plain couscous, cooked according to package instructions (about 5 cups)
- 3 cups coarsely chopped arugula
- 1 pound plum tomatoes, seeded, diced (about 2 cups)
- 2 grilled chicken breast halves, diced
- 2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
Directions:
Blend basil leaves, mayonnaise, and shallot in processor until smooth. Gradually blend in buttermilk and lemon juice. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Mix Asiago cheese, currants, and pumpkin seeds in medium bowl and toss into cooled couscous. Add arugula, tomatoes, chicken & corn. Add desired amount of dressing. Mix & serve.
Side Notes:
For the dressing: We use
this mayo to help cut down on the fat & calories and it still tasted delicious. We never buy buttermilk, we make our own by adding 1 TBSP of lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough milk to measure 1 cup. Also, it makes a ton of dressing. You won't use all of it, just add enough until it tastes great.
For the ingredients: I didn't have dried currants on hand so used craisins instead. Also, I couldn't find pumpkin seeds at Trader Joe's so I skipped them entirely. As far as the asiago I substitued it with parmesan I had on hand. I didn't chop the arugula but I think I might next time. I also didn't use chicken because we were eating this as a side dish with tri-tip. I think it would make a perfect main dish to use with chicken. I purposely skipped the corn- I think it was mostly because there was no corn in the original salad I tried and I liked it that way. I also drizzled additional lemon juice onto the couscous before adding the additional ingredients. Delicious! Give it a whirl.
Happy Summer!
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