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.
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.
I like the texture of Israeli or “pearl” couscous mixed with the other ingredients but you can use whatever couscous you prefer.
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
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.
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.
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
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!!
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.
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. ‘-)
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~
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.
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!
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…………..
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!!!
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/
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
This looks wonderful and I love avocados so will be trying this soon! Thanks for all the wonderful ideas you give us.
Sounds like a tasty and healthy lunch Mary! I still haven’t tried couscous… It’s on my list:@)
Yummy! Here on the Alabama Gulf Coast, we call it LA Caviar! (Lower Alabama) :-)
Yummmmmy! :D
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
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!!
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.
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
looks delicious, love the boots, bandanas and mason jars!
Looks delicious Buckaroo! LOVE the name!
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
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. ‘-)
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~
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.
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?
Sorry it’s not print friendly. You can always copy & paste it into a word document or email.
Love the bandanas on the jars.
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!
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!
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.
I love the Western theme of this post and your prior one, Mary! Since I moved to Colorado I feel very “cowgirl-ish” …lol!
That recipe sounds great! Your photos are lovely!
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…………..
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!!!
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
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
I am going to have to give that recipe a try. You make everything you fix look delicious!
Thanks for sharing your awesome Cowgirl Couscous. Hope you have a great week.
Miz Helen
Sounds so good and looks fabulous in the jars. Great pics. Thanks tons for joining Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty