Couscous Gazpacho Salad

Ingredients

Couscous ~
2 1/2 cups chicken, vegetable stock or water
12 ounces couscous
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 green onion, minced
4 tablespoons Italian parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, or more
Dijon Vinaigrette ~
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
3 grinds herb seasoning, I use Italian
Salt and pepper, to taste
Gazpacho Salad ~
1 container (pint) cherry tomatoes, halved
6 small Persian cucumbers, diced
1 roasted red bell pepper, diced
1 small red onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tablespoon basil, chopped

Instructions

Couscous

In a saucepan, add the stock, butter and couscous; bring to a boil, remove from heat stir in garlic and green onion, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove garlic and fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool.

Vinaigrette

In a small bowl add vinegar, mustard and shallot, whisk together. Slowly whisk in the oil in a thin stream to emulsify. Add seasonings to taste. Can be refrigerated for 3 weeks, bring to room temperature before using.

Salad

In a large bowl, add all chopped ingredients and toss with a little of the dressing. Let stand for 5 minutes. Toss couscous and vegetables together adding a little more dressing as necessary, to taste.