Lemony Pearl Couscous Lentil Salad

We came across this healthy salad on magnoliadays.com. It’s a very tasty salad. It would also be great for picnics or at the beach.

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 teaspoon maple or agave syrup
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ teaspoon cumin

For the salad:

• 1 cup pearl couscous
• 1 cup brown lentils
• 2 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves

Directions:

1. Mix the ingredients for the dressing together in a bowl.
2. Cook the pearl couscous in a pot with 2 cups lightly salted water.
3. Cook the lentils in a pot with 2-3 cups water.
4. When the couscous and lentils are done, drain, pour cool water over, drain again and place in a large bowl.
5. Chop the red onions and red bell pepper.
6. Add to the couscous and lentils and mix gently.
7. Pour 1/2 the dressing over the salad, stir to mix. You can serve the salad warm or chilled.
8. Add the rest of the dressing when serving, or place in a carafe for individuals to use at the table. We added a few more thyme leaves as garnishes and a few slices of lemon.

Notes:

Adapted from http://magnoliadays.com/2016/lemony-couscous-lentil-salad/.