Cowgirl Couscous Salad

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Cowgirl Couscous Salad is a combination of a southwest couscous salad and cowboy caviar.

More of a procedure than a recipe, you can adjust the ingredients to satisfy your buckaroos’ taste buds or add chicken for additional protein for more of a complete meal.

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 I call this Cowgirl Couscous Salad since my husband is not wild about couscous, so it’s ideal for me to fix if I’m home alone on the range :) or for a cowgirl lunch and it’s easily adjusted to make a smaller quantity.

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I like the texture of Israeli or “pearl” couscous mixed with the other ingredients but you can use whatever couscous you prefer.

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Cowgirl Couscous Salad

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep time: 15 mins.

Ingredients

1 cup Israeli (pearl) couscous

1 1/4 cup chicken stock

1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups halved or quartered grape tomatoes

2 avocados

1/2 of a medium red onion, chopped

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed (I used frozen Trader Joe’s fire roasted corn)

 1  lime

1/2 cup Italian dressing

3  tablespoon chopped cilantro

 1 – 2 jalapenos, ribs and seeds removed, chopped

kosher salt to taste

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Cook your couscous according to the box directions substituting chicken stock for water. Pearl couscous cooks in about 10 minutes. Transfer the cooked couscous to a large bowl and let cool.

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Cut your avocado and toss with the juice of a lime and salt to taste. Mix your other ingredients with your couscous and add Italian dressing. Gently stir in your avocado. Let flavors meld in the refrigerator an hour before serving.

If I’m making this salad ahead and waiting to serve until later in the day, I’ll wait to cut and add my avocado right before serving so it doesn’t oxidize.

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Ideal to store & serve in a

Ball Heritage Collection Mason Jar

and toss in your saddle bag :)

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  33 comments for “Cowgirl Couscous Salad

  1. Sandi Lee
    June 11, 2013 at 6:29 am

    This looks wonderful and I love avocados so will be trying this soon! Thanks for all the wonderful ideas you give us.

  2. June 11, 2013 at 7:14 am

    Sounds like a tasty and healthy lunch Mary! I still haven’t tried couscous… It’s on my list:@)

  3. June 11, 2013 at 7:25 am

    Yummy! Here on the Alabama Gulf Coast, we call it LA Caviar! (Lower Alabama) :-)

  4. June 11, 2013 at 7:52 am

    Yummmmmy! :D

  5. June 11, 2013 at 8:01 am

    What a perfect summer meal! As always your photos are stunning and the way you have staged your jars is so attractive and interesting. I love the wood and the close-up of the salad through the glass jar. Have a great week,
    Jenna

  6. June 11, 2013 at 8:31 am

    I do like couscous, Mary, and I’m also thinking that barley would be good for those who don’t. Your blue canning jars are the perfect container for eating that colorful salad. You sure know how to take beautiful photos!!

  7. June 11, 2013 at 8:42 am

    Like Tracy (the above commenter), I”m from Alabama too…I like to call my “caviar” Dixie caviar. I can’t wait to try try the Cowgirl version with couscous. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe and your gorgeous photos.

  8. June 11, 2013 at 8:57 am

    MMM, yum!!! Thanks, Mary. Our company is coming today so I have to get busy. Really, I am ready but will “futz” all day:):) XO, Pinky

  9. June 11, 2013 at 9:50 am

    looks delicious, love the boots, bandanas and mason jars!

  10. June 11, 2013 at 10:34 am

    Looks delicious Buckaroo! LOVE the name!

  11. June 11, 2013 at 10:57 am

    Bookmarked it! I’ve been making lots of salads lately. I’d love this one because we love couscous! Thanks for posting. Adorable post (as usual).

    xo,
    RJ

  12. June 11, 2013 at 11:03 am

    Looks like a great dish. We often eat Texas caviar salad. Will try this one. It is perfect for your cute cowboy themed table. Enjoy the day! ~ Sarah
    PS
    I think I’ve resolved my blog feed issue and now have email subscription working. Fingers crossed this is truly resolved. ‘-)

  13. June 11, 2013 at 11:27 am

    girl you are just riding off to the western sunset this week! this sounds delish, never had couscous, but i love all the other fixings. love you shot of the hydrangea top side in focus, gorgeous~

  14. June 11, 2013 at 1:29 pm

    Pinning this post to save the recipe. This will be great for our family beach trip. Bandanas are great idea on the mason jar for a western theme. So many ways to use all your ideas.

  15. Carole Applegarth
    June 11, 2013 at 2:56 pm

    A friend sent me to your site as I make Cowboy Caviar here in Colorado, I would like to print this, is there a way to do this?

    • June 11, 2013 at 3:17 pm

      Sorry it’s not print friendly. You can always copy & paste it into a word document or email.

  16. linda kemp
    June 11, 2013 at 3:20 pm

    Love the bandanas on the jars.

  17. June 12, 2013 at 12:35 pm

    I’m going to try this salad! It looks wonderful & it’s HOT already here in Texas. I love cool salads when it’s hot outside. Meat just seems heavy sometimes. Thanks for sharing!

  18. Mary L
    June 12, 2013 at 10:21 pm

    All your recipes sound wonderful, would love to try them. Quick question? Am I missing the print friendly icon for your recipes? Thanks so much!

  19. June 12, 2013 at 10:42 pm

    This looks delicious and is so beautifully displayed. I am dying for those Blue Mason Jars, tying the bandanas around them is just too cute.

  20. June 13, 2013 at 1:24 am

    I love the Western theme of this post and your prior one, Mary! Since I moved to Colorado I feel very “cowgirl-ish” …lol!

  21. June 13, 2013 at 12:36 pm

    That recipe sounds great! Your photos are lovely!

  22. June 13, 2013 at 6:57 pm

    Wow, I love this too and I love how you served it the blue mason jars. I’m always ready to pull my boots on and play cowgirls! Gorgeous post Mary.
    Happy weekend…………..

  23. June 14, 2013 at 8:53 am

    My hubby loves couscous so this is perfect for us!!…and what a great party idea with your beautiful and fun theme….I love that you wrapped the bandana around the jar…great presentation and napkin in one!!!

  24. June 14, 2013 at 9:00 am

    I love the combination of flavors. Your pictures are just gorgeous, when is lunch? I would love it if you would share this recipe on our BBQ Block Party-Linky party.
    http://easylifemealandpartyplanning.blogspot.com/

    Hope to see you there

  25. June 17, 2013 at 4:56 am

    Good Morning Mary, Couscous is such a favourite in this house, as it is lovely to eat in the Summer as part of a salad and perfect hot for cold winter
    nights to eat with a lamb stew.
    I love how you have placed your salad in a mason jar and as I am a lover of blue and white, I of course love the jars. It was the red neckerchief which caught my eye, as when we visited my daughter, who used to live in Atlanta, my husband bought half a dozen as he uses them tied around his neck when he goes for his hikes. He also grew up with the old cowboy films and used to go to the cinema every Saturday morning, so I think it also took him back to his childhood days.
    I think if the weather warms up for us this week, we shall be enjoying cowgirl, no I will have to rename it for my husband, cowboy salad.
    Have a lovely, sunny day and it is really lovely to meet you.
    Best Wishes to you,
    Daphne

  26. June 17, 2013 at 8:01 pm

    I am going to have to give that recipe a try. You make everything you fix look delicious!

  27. June 17, 2013 at 8:36 pm

    Thanks for sharing your awesome Cowgirl Couscous. Hope you have a great week.
    Miz Helen

  28. Marty@A Stroll Thru Life
    June 18, 2013 at 10:57 am

    Sounds so good and looks fabulous in the jars. Great pics. Thanks tons for joining Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty

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