Mediterranean Couscous Salad Bowl with Pickled Onions

Hello friends and family from Mediterranean Island of Greece!! Okay, we may not be physically there, but this dish sure did make it seem that way! So, after watching Get Him to the Greek, and laughing at the thought people getting “Jefferies” (that’s just wrong!!), we wanted some of that Mediterranean cuisine. Because let’s just say, I’m getting swimsuit ready early this year! But back to this meal, my wife found this recipe in the Vegan Bowls Cookbook by Zsu Dever.(Shoutout to my cousin Jeannie Lathan-Chruchill for the awesome Christmas gift!!)  Because this bowl of life is amazing!! It’s so, lite, filling, and screams SWIMSUIT TIME!! There is no shame in having a big bowl of this!! So, grab your passport and let’s go!!

Couscous

1 box of Near East Couscous

1 ¼ cup veggie broth

2 teaspoons earth balance butter or grapeseed oil

In a medium saucepan, combine broth, butter/oil, and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, stir in couscous. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff lightly with a fork before serving.

Pickled Onions

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon organic cane sugar

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Black pepper to taste

½ medium red onion, cut into paper-thin slices

Combine the all ingredients in bowl and mix well. Set aside for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.

Dressing

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

¼ cup vegan mayo (Vegenaise is what we like)

Take 2 tablespoons of the onion brine and transfer it to a small bowl. Stir in the oil and mix well with a whisk. Stir in the mayo and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding another tablespoon of the brine, if desired.

Vegetables

2 cups baby kale or baby spinach

2  cups coarsely chopped romaine lettuce

1 15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 medium roasted red pepper, chopped (if jarred use one large piece)

1 roma tomato, chopped

½ cup pitted and chopped Kalamata olives

1 ripe Hass avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced

Combine all veggies together and give a good mix.

To serve:

Place a cup of the combine veggies in the bowl. Then top with ¼ cup of the couscous on the side and pickled onions. Drizzle dressing on top, or serve it in two ounce sauce cup.