Couscous Salad with Crunchy Shallots

After a week on the road and countless sandwiches, we were in desperate need of a healthy tasty salad. The special ingredient in this salad is the crunchy shallots, they add a delicious toasty sweetness, trust me, it's worth the extra step!

Ingredients:

1 cup couscous

1 cup water

1 Tbsp olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

good quality extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, thinly sliced

Handful of fresh basil leaves

1 avocado, peeled and sliced

1 bunch grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup green and/or black sliced olives

*1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Small handful of pistachios or cashews, chopped roughly

Good quality balsamic vinegar

Directions:

In a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat, add the water, butter, 1/2 tsp sea salt, nutmeg, curry powder and cayenne powder.  Bring to a boil, add the couscous, stir for a moment, cover and remove from the heat. 

In a small frying pan, add a generous glug of olive oil.  When the oil is hot, add the shallots and gently fry until crispy.  Remove from the oil when done and place on a paper towel to drain the extra grease.

Roughly chop the basil leaves and mix with the grape tomato slices, olives and avocados, and mix in with the couscous.  Serve the mixture in a serving bowl, and top with a sprinkling of the rest of the grapes tomatoes, olives, avocados, nuts, basil and feta cheese.  Top with the crispy shallots fresh ground pepper. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

This makes 4 side dish servings

* Omit feta cheese for vegan dish