Couscous and Cannellini Niçoise

How to Make Couscous and Cannellini Niçoise Recipe - This recipe takes its inspiration from the classic French salad, but with a few twists on the original. Here, couscous is mixed with cannellini beans, and tossed with green beans, tomatoes and cucumber in a piquant dressing made with sun-dried tomatoes.

SERVES: 4

PREPARATION: 25 MINUTES, COOKING: 5 MINUTES

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups (245 g) couscous
1 2/3 cups (400 ml) boiling water
1 tablespoon (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried herbes de Provence
2/3 cup (150 g) green beans
1/2 cucumber
15 ounce (425 ml) can low-salt cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 cup (250 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
2 hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters
4 anchovy fillets, drained and halved lengthwise
1/4 cup (50 g) black olives

Sun-dried tomato dressing:
juice of 1 large lemon
2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon (15 ml) finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
freshly ground black pepper

1 To make the sun-dried tomato dressing, combine the lemon juice, oil and sun-dried tomatoes in a screw-top jar. Season to taste with pepper, cover and shake well to mix. Set aside.

2 Put the couscous into a large heatproof bowl and cover with the boiling water. Stir in the oil and dried herbs, cover and let stand for 5 minutes, or until the couscous has absorbed all the water. Uncover, stir to separate the grains and let cool.

3 Meanwhile, steam the green beans for 3–4 minutes, or until tender but still crisp. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Cut in half.

4 Cut the cucumber lengthwise into thick slices, then cut each slice into four wedges. Stir the cucumber into the couscous, together with the cannellini beans, green beans, onion and tomatoes. Add the dressing and toss gently until well mixed. Taste and season with pepper, if necessary.

5 Transfer the salad to a serving bowl. Garnish with the egg quarters, anchovies and olives, and serve.

Each serving provides
349 calories, 13 g protein, 19 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 31 g carbohydrate (4 g sugars), 7 g fiber, 441 mg sodium

COUSCOUS, made from semolina, is the staple food in many North African countries. It is low in fat and needs no cooking.

THE VITAMIN C content in tomatoes is concentrated in the jelly-like substance surrounding the seeds.

ANCHOVIES offer calcium and phosphorus, both essential minerals for the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth.

Couscous and Cannellini Niçoise