Greek Couscous Salad

Ingredients

• 10 sun-dried tomatoes (not oil packed)
• hot water
• 2 cups cold cooked couscous
• 1 small unpeeled cucumber, seeded and coarsely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 4-5 small radishes, unpeeled,scrubbed,stemmed,and chopped fairly fine (desirable) (optional)
• 3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaf or 1 teaspoon dried basil, lightly crushed
• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled,more to taste
• 2 tablespoons lightly toasted pine nuts
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, lightly crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. 1

   Place sun-dried tomatoes in a large bowl, cover with hot water, and let stand 10-15 minutes or until softened.

2. 2

   Drain well, and coarsely chop.

3. 3

   Add couscous, cucumber, radishes, parsley, basil, feta, and pine nuts, and toss lightly to combine.

4. 4

   In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper until well combined.

5. 5

   Set aside for 5 minutes for flavor to develop.

6. 6

   Slowly add olive oil while continuing to whisk briskly.

7. 7

   Pour over couscous mixture, and toss to blend.

8. 8

   Cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

9. 9

   Taste, and adjust seasonings before serving.

10. 10

    For some reason, this salad dissipates flavors like you wouldn’t believe.

11. 11

    You will probably need more of most dressing ingredients, especially more lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper; but don’t add them into the initial dressing mix.

12. 12

    Add after the dish has set for a while.

13. 13

    Variation: Replace couscous with coarse bulgur wheat, preferably#3 (very coarse), available at middle-eastern markets and some specialty food stores.

14. 14

    To prepare, thoroughly rinse 1 cup bulgur in a strainer under running water.

15. 15

    Place in a medium bowl, cover with very hot tap water, add 1 Tsp salt, mix thoroughly, and set aside for 30 minutes.

16. 16

    Drain thoroughly, and use as noted above for couscous.