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This Black Bean Couscous Salad is full of hearty couscous, black beans, recent greens, and a scrumptious chipotle lime dressing. Get pleasure from it for meal prep or as a aspect dish on the vegan cookout. Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free Choice.
This Black Bean Couscous Salad tosses hearty couscous, protein-packed black beans, and refreshing greens in probably the most scrumptious chipotle lime dressing. Able to eat in lower than half-hour, it’s the right last-minute aspect dish for a vegan cookout or a Tex-Mex-inspired lunch!
Desk of Contents
An Straightforward Method to Eat The Rainbow
This Black Bean Couscous Salad with Chipotle Lime Dressing is sort of a mash-up of this Southwest Quinoa Salad and this Tex-Mex Black Bean Salad, however options an unlikely ingredient: couscous!
I’m all about utilizing quinoa, macaroni, rice, or farro in veggie salads, however switching up the same old gamers for bouncy, chewy, and lightweight couscous makes this Tex-Mex salad really feel further particular. Plus it’s able to eat after solely 7 minutes of soaking time!Â
The couscous is tossed with canned black beans, recent and juicy greens, and a smoky-zesty dressing, loading each chew with plant-based protein and scrumptious flavors. Get pleasure from it for meal prep or deliver it with you to a cookout, picnic, or BBQ.
Components for Black Bean and Couscous Salad
This simple Tex-Mex salad requires a handful of pantry staples and recent greens. Right here’s what you’ll want:
- Couscous: Whereas basic Tex-Mex salads are made with white rice or quinoa, I opted for couscous as a result of it’s simple to prepare dinner and tastes tremendous gentle and fluffy. Go for small (Moroccan), medium, or giant (pearl or Israeli) couscous, relying on whether or not you want a lighter or heartier chew.
- Black beans: You’ll want two cans of canned black beans or 3/4 cup of dried black beans cooked recent.
- Tomatoes: Be at liberty to make use of sliced Roma, cherry, or grape tomatoes.
- Bell peppers: Any coloration of bell pepper will do! I like utilizing crimson or orange bell peppers, however yellow and inexperienced bell peppers work simply as properly.
- Pink onion: It provides a pop of onion-y sweetness. If uncooked crimson onion is simply too robust for you, soak the items in chilly water for about 10 minutes earlier than squeezing out the surplus water and including them to the salad.
- Chipotle pepper in adobo: It’s a must have for the smoky, tangy, and considerably spicy flavors within the dressing. You will discover canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce within the worldwide aisle of most grocery shops or in Latin markets. Save the leftover peppers and sauce for a batch of this Chipotle Black Bean Chili or this versatile Vegan Chipotle Mayo.
- Lime juice: Choose up a few limes and juice them your self for a shiny pop of citrusy taste. Be at liberty to zest one or each of the limes to make the dressing further zesty.
- Agave: Only a drizzle will assist stability the daring flavors within the chipotle lime dressing. You need to use maple syrup as an alternative, however the dressing will style barely totally different.
How you can Make This Black Bean Couscous Salad
- Add the couscous, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt to a big bowl. Pour boiling water over high, stir properly, and cowl with a lid. Fluff the cooked couscous after a couple of minutes, then put aside.
- Add the oil, chipotle pepper, lime juice, agave, and salt to a small jar. Seal with a lid and shake the jar to emulsify the dressing. Put aside.
- Add the black beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, cilantro, and crimson onion to the bowl with the couscous. Drizzle the dressing over high and toss to coat.
- Serve the salad straight away or refrigerate till chilled.
Caitlin’s Cooking Ideas
- How you can prepare dinner excellent couscous: In contrast to pasta or entire grains, couscous is greatest when it’s steamed somewhat than boiled in water. Both pour boiling water over the couscous in a bowl or add the couscous to a pot of boiling water on the range (instantly taking it off the warmth). You’ll know the couscous is cooked completely when the entire water is absorbed and it’s tremendous fluffy.Â
- Make the weather forward of time: It can save you a bunch of time right here by making the dressing 4 days prematurely, cooking the couscous as much as 2 days prematurely, and chopping the veggies 1 or 2 days prematurely. Retailer all the things in separate containers within the fridge, then toss them collectively proper earlier than serving!
- Let it chill: You probably have a few hours to spare, I extremely advocate letting the salad chill within the fridge. This offers the flavors from the veggies and dressing time to soak into the beans and couscous, making each chew over-the-top scrumptious.
Serving Strategies
Black bean and couscous salad is ideal for meal prep, not solely as a result of it’s simple to make forward of time but additionally as a result of it’ll preserve you full all afternoon. Get pleasure from it as a balanced and lightweight lunch all through the week, both by itself or paired with tortilla chips for scooping or a couple of of those Oven Baked Refried Bean Taquitos.
Internet hosting a summer time cookout? Ensure this salad is on the menu! Its smoky and zesty flavors make it a scrumptious aspect dish to pair with this Vegan Macaroni Salad, these Mushroom Veggie Burgers, and this Crunchy Broccoli Salad.
For those who’re on the lookout for extra vegan Tex-Mex recipes, you’ll additionally love this Vegan Taco Casserole, this Vegan Taco Pasta Salad, and this Creamy Inexperienced Enchilada Casserole!
How you can Retailer Couscous Salad
Switch the leftover couscous salad to an hermetic container and retailer it within the fridge for as much as 5 days. Get pleasure from it straight out of the fridge or enable it to come back to room temperature earlier than serving.
Freezing is just not beneficial.
Substitutions and Variations
- Couscous Substitution: Use cooked orzo, ditalini pasta, or quinoa as a substitute of couscous.
- Black Bean Substitution: I like utilizing black beans or pinto beans for a Tex-Mex really feel. For those who don’t have both, you should use chickpeas or another canned bean you could have at residence.
- Oil-Free Choice: Use my Creamy Cilantro Dressing as a substitute of the chipotle lime dressing.Â
- Extra Combine-In Concepts: Add avocado for wholesome fat, stir a dollop of vegan mayonnaise or yogurt into the dressing to make it creamy, or add further greens, like corn kernels, pickled jalapenos, chopped child spinach, or diced cucumbers.
Recipe FAQs
Couscous is a really small North African pasta comprised of semolina flour.
Sure! After soaking 3/4 cup of dry black beans in water in a single day, add them to a pot the following day and canopy them with recent water. Warmth to a boil and simmer the beans till tender.
I like to recommend serving the salad both chilled or at room temperature to expertise the refreshing and zesty flavors in all their glory.
Get pleasure from! For those who make this recipe and determine to share it on Fb or Instagram, don’t overlook to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I’d additionally find it irresistible if you happen to may depart a remark beneath with a recipe score! Thanks for the help 😊
For the Salad:
- 1 cup Couscous
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- Kosher salt to style
- 2 15 ounce cans black beans drained and rinsed
- 10 ounces diced tomatoes roma, cherry, or grape
- 1 crimson or orange bell pepper diced
- 1/2 bunch cilantro finely chopped
- 1/2 crimson onion high-quality cube
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Prepare dinner the Couscous: Convey the water to a boil on the stovetop or in an electrical kettle. Add the couscous and garlic powder to a big bowl with a pinch of salt and pour the boiling water over it; combine properly, then cowl with a plate or lid and let sit for 7 minutes. Fluff with a fork and put aside. (Observe: in case you are warming the water on the stovetop, you’ll be able to take away it from the warmth and add the couscous on to the pot)
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Make the Dressing: Add the oil to a small jar together with the chipotle pepper, lime juice, agave, and salt. Seal the jar and shake properly till emulsified; put aside.
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Mix: Add the black beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, cilantro, and crimson onion to the bowl with the couscous. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss properly till all the things is mixed.
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Serve & Retailer: Get pleasure from instantly; if making for meal prep, switch the salad into particular person mason jars and retailer within the fridge. Leftovers will preserve within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
Energy: 493kcalCarbohydrates: 75gProtein: 18gFats: 15gSaturated Fats: 2gPolyunsaturated Fats: 2gMonounsaturated Fats: 10gSodium: 311mgPotassium: 769mgFiber: 16gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1056IUVitamin C: 56mgCalcium: 85mgIron: 4mg
