Golden dried apricots, green pistachios and ruby dried cranberries are mixed into couscous with arugula and honey-lime vinaigrette for a crunchy, chewy, tangy and sweet bite.
SERVINGS: 6
SERVING SIZE: ½ cup (85 grams)
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 8 minutes
Ingredients
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt, divided
- ⅔ cup dry couscous
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons (15 milliliters) honey
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) grapeseed oil
- ¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon crushed pistachios, divided
- ⅓ cup plus 1 teaspoon dried apricots, diced into ¼-inch pieces, divided
- ⅓ cup plus 1 teaspoon dried cranberries, divided
- 1 cup baby arugula, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, boil ⅔ cup water with ⅛ teaspoon sea salt. Stir in couscous, turn off heat and cover for 5 minutes until all water is absorbed. Transfer couscous to a medium bowl, fluff with a fork, then set aside for 15 minutes or until it cools to room temperature.
- In a small bowl, whisk together lime zest, lime juice, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic powder, grapeseed oil and ⅛ teaspoon salt. To make the “confetti,” combine 1 teaspoon crushed pistachios, 1 teaspoon dried apricot and 1 teaspoon dried cranberries in a separate small bowl.
- To the bowl of fluffed couscous, add ⅓ cup dried cranberries, ⅓ cup dried apricots, ¼ cup pistachios, arugula and vinaigrette and stir well to combine. Garnish with the “confetti” mixture.
NUTRITION PER SERVING:* 216 calories, 8g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 170mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 14g sugar, 4g protein, NA potassium, NA phosphorus
*Substituted lemon peel for lime peel in nutrition analysis.
Lauren O’Connor, MS, RDN, is a Los Angeles-based private practice dietitian, recipe developer and owner of Nutri Savvy Health, a program focusing on mindful eating and family nutrition. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.