Couscous and watercress go together beautifully in this quick little recipe. The peppery watercress adds a nice punch of flavor and crispy texture to the dish. It’s a perfect summer side dish to serve with grilled herb chicken, lemongrass tofu, or grilled tuna burgers.
This dish can be made in 20 minutes. The couscous takes just 5 minutes to prepare as does the corn. Once they have cooled, toss everything together and it’s ready to serve.
A zippy lemony dressing adds brightness to the salad. Serve it with lemon wedges for those who want an extra pop of flavor .
Lemon Couscous with Watercress & Corn
4
servingsThis is an easy and refreshing side dish perfect for your summer picnic
Ingredients
3 ounces watercress (tough stems discarded), roughly chopped
1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
1 ear fresh corn (about 1 cup of kernels) briefly cooked for 2 minutes in boiling water, cooled and kernels cut from cob
1 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup Moroccan couscous
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and pepper
Directions
- Chop watercress into bite-sized pieces. Finely chop chives. Set aside.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add corn and boil for 2 minutes. Drain water (reserve pot) and transfer corn to a plate. Once cool enough, slice kernels off cob and let cool.
- In the same pot, bring chicken broth to a boil. Turn off the heat, quickly stir in couscous, cover the pot and set aside off the heat for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and transfer to a serving bowl to cool.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey and Dijon (start with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and add more to taste). Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper.
- Once couscous has cooled, add watercress, chives and corn. Stir in dressing, season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Notes
- Moroccan couscous is the smallest variety of couscous that cooks in 5 minutes and is perfect for salads.
- Add the watercress just before serving for the crispiest texture.