Delicious Cous cous Salad

Ingredients

Directions

1. To make the couscous:
2. To boiling water in bowl or pot, slowly add the couscous, stir well and let sit about 5 minutes until the water has absorbed (do not cook). Fluff up with a fork and break up any lumps. Add about 2 tbsp olive oil and the olive paste (or tapenade or pesto) and stir through. Cover and set aside.
3. Heat a medium frypan to medium heat. Toast the pine nuts or almonds until slightly brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Add olive oil and fry the onions, peppers, herbs and black pepper until soft. Add the raisins and toss until they soften. Remove from heat and add the fresh citrus juice and sugar/syrup if needed. Add salt if desired (I don’t add any if using olive paste or pesto)
4. Add the vegetable-juice mixture, the chickpeas/beans, nuts and mandarin orange/clementine pieces to the cooled (do not chill) couscous. Stir well and add olive oil as necessary to coat.
5. Serve at room temperature. Can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. To serve, bring to room temperature and stir in additional juice, olive oil or sprinkle lightly with water to moisten. You can also add tomato juice, V8, or tomato sauce in place of the citrus.