A few weeks ago, I went to a 4th of July potluck and wanted to bring something that was a bit light and on the healthier side. After consulting the interwebs for a fun salad to make, I settled on Giada De Laurentiis’s recipe for this Isreali Couscous Salad with Smoked Paprika.
Ever since I bought smoked paprika a few months ago, I’ve been obsessed with finding different ways to use it. It has this smoky flavor and not at spicy like regular paprika. I was so excited to try this new use of smoked paprika, and I’m glad I did.
This recipe is super easy and only requires a little bit of prep work: chop up the spinach, quarter the grape tomatoes, rough chop the roasted red peppers, red onions, parsley and mint. In your multi-tasking, you also have to whip up a quick smoked paprika vinaigrette.
The only thing you’ll have to cook is the isreali couscous, which will take you about 15 minutes. To cook the couscous, we actually toast it in a bit of olive oil first to give it some extra color before adding water in.
Once all the prep work is done, throw everything together…
Pour in your vinaigrette, toss, and top with silvered almonds, and you’ll have yourself a hearty salad that’s a little less than 300 calories per serving!
I love the flavors of this salad so much that I’ve just been making the smoked paprika vinaigrette on its own for my salads.
Smoked Paprika Isreali Couscous Salad
adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
Couscous
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/3 cups or 8 ounces israeli couscous
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups water
Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salad
2 cups packed baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
12 ounces grape tomatoes quartered
1 cup jarred roasted red bell peppers, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
(optional) 4 oz goat cheese or feta cheese
1. Make couscous. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add the uncooked isreali couscous to toast the pasta until it’s golden brown. Then add 2 cups of water and salt, cover and once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook for another 10 minutes, until the couscous is al dente. Take off heat and let it cool.
2. Whisk the Vinaigrette. Add the olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, smoked paprika, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk until it’s slightly emulsified. Set aside.
3. Prep salad. In a big bowl, add the spinach, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, parsley, and mint. Add the couscous. Finally toss with vinaigrette. Top with silvered almonds and cheese (optional).
Nutrition Information
Makes 6 Servings: Calories 292, Carbs 35g, Total Fat 14g, Protein 6g, Sugar 3g
