Ingredients
- 6 ounces organic green beans
- ½ cup pearl couscous
- 2 organic summer squash
- 1 cup cooked kidney beans
- ¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 6 ounces organic Sun Gold or cherry tomatoes
- 3 sprigs organic fresh oregano
- Lemon vinaigrette base (1 Tbs lemon juice – 1/2 tsp onion powder – 1/2 tsp garlic powder – 1 Tbs Dijon mustard – 1/2 tsp porcini or any other kind of mushroom powder)
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
Cook the green beans
Trim the stem ends from the green beans if needed; cut the beans into 1-inch lengths.
Bring a medium sauce pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold water, then transfer to a plate; keep the water boiling for the couscous.
Cook the couscous
To the pot of boiling water, add the couscous and cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain the couscous, then return to the pot and toss with 2 to 3 teaspoons oil. Cover and keep warm. While the beans and couscous are cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients.
Prep the remaining ingredients; make the vinaigrette
- Cut the squash into ¼-inch-thick pieces.
- Rinse the kidney beans.
- Cut the olives in half, checking for any pits.
- Cut the tomatoes in half.
- Strip the oregano leaves from the stems and coarsely chop enough to measure 1 tablespoon; set aside half for garnish. Save any remaining oregano for another use.
In a small bowl, prepare the lemon vinaigrette base, and stir in 2 tablespoons oil, and half the oregano; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook the squash; finish the salad
In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 to 2 teaspoons oil until hot but not smoking. Add the squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the couscous, green beans, kidney beans, and olives, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans and olives are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the tomatoes and as much lemon vinaigrette as you like (set aside any remaining vinaigrette for serving). Season to taste with salt and pepper.