Cranberry and Couscous Salad

Everyone has a favourite Christmas Salad recipe and this would have to be one of my old time favourites that I make throughout the summer and whenever I take it for a BBQ everyone wants it, so here it is! Barbara from New World, Rangiora.

My Cranberry and Couscous Salad is so easy to make and is filled with lots of Christmassy goodness. The Israeli Couscous is lovely and plump and gives texture and bulk to the salad, the cranberries add sweetness, the coriander adds a slight citrus flavour and the lemon zest finishes it off with a zing! I recommend that you make the salad the day before as the salad will have more flavour, the cranberries will also swell.

Keep an eye on the couscous as it can stick to the bottom of the pot, if this happens before the 15 minutes is up add a little more water. I find when separating the couscous put on a vinyl kitchen glove and you can really mix it around separating the grains. I store mine in an ice-cream container and give it a good shake to mix it around. If you’re making it for Christmas Day I always double it.

Christmas is the time to spend with your family and friends and I’d like to wish everyone a wonderful day, from our New World Family to Yours Merry Christmas and we look forward to seeing you all in 2023.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

· 1 cup Israeli couscous

 · 2 cups vegetable stock

· 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

· 1 cup dried cranberries

· 70 gram bag of pine nuts

· 1⁄2 cup spring onion, chopped

· 1⁄2 red onion, medium sized and finely chopped

· 1⁄2 cup coriander, chopped

· 1 teaspoon lemon zest

· 1⁄2 lemon

Method

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over a medium heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan.

2. Add the Israeli couscous and stir about 1 minute or until the couscous is lightly browned.

3. Stir in 2 cups of stock, cover with lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the couscous has absorbed most of the liquid and is al dente.

4. Drain in a colander, but do not rinse. Leave to cool.

5. Once cool stir in the remaining 3 teaspoons olive oil to coat and separate the grains.

6. Combine the couscous with the cranberries, pine nuts, spring onions, red onion, coriander, lemon zest and shallots.

7. Spritz with lemon juice and adjust with salt to taste.