Israeli Couscous Salmon Salad

July 16, 2021

Last night we were invited to the Hollywood Bowl to see Peter and the Wolf with Viola Davis and Dudamel (it was fabulous!). I made Israeli Couscous Salmon Salad for dinner, which is a great make-ahead meal for any outdoor occasion. It has a tangy lemon dill dressing and I threw in some blanched asparagus. I also made Simple Summer Peach Cake, which I made last week, but this time I made individual tarts. I love going to the Hollywood Bowl. It's my favorite summer concert venue.

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup uncooked Israeli couscous

4 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 ounces watercress, baby arugula or baby spinach about 6 cups

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

½ cup crumbled Feta cheese

¼ cup fresh dill, chopped

Lemon Dill Dressing

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

1 garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon kosher salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup mild-flavored oil sunflower, safflower, avocado, grapeseed, canola, vegetable

2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

Directions

1Preheat oven to 450˚ F. Line a sheet pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. 

2In a medium-size pot, bring chicken broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil. Add the couscous and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until couscous is just tender, 8-10 minutes. 

3Drain the couscous in a sieve. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and stir with a fork to prevent clumping. Set aside.  

4While couscous is cooking, prepare salmon. Place salmon fillets on prepared pan spaced 1-inch apart. Season both sides lightly with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the Lemon Dill Dressing on each fillet. Spread with the back of a spoon to coat the top surfaces. 

5Bake for 6-10 minutes, until salmon is slightly firm to the touch and the internal temperature of the salmon reaches 125-135°F . Remove from oven and let sit for 2 minutes (the temperature will come up a bit during this resting time). 

6Flake salmon into large chunks with two forks (see tutorial above). Drizzle flaked salmon with 1-2 tablespoons of the Lemon Dill Dressing and toss gently to coat. 

7To assemble salad, combine watercress, arugula or baby spinach with the Israeli couscous in a large bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the Lemon Dill Dressing. 

8Turn out couscous mixture onto a large serving platter or individual plates. Top with flaked salmon, tomatoes and Feta cheese. Drizzle with a bit more dressing and sprinkle generously with fresh dill. Serve extra dressing at the table.

Lemon Dill Dressing

1Whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, honey, garlic, salt and pepper until completely blended. 

2Add oil in a slow steady stream, whisking continuously until thick and creamy. Add dill and stir well. 

3Refrigerate until ready to use.

Recipe from The Café Sucre Farine, August 2020.

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