Howdy ho, Junior Rangers!
I’m here! I’m alive! And we’re eating a salad filled with ALL THE ITALIAN THINGS.
I’m so very excited about this recipe! Can you tell?
For being mostly Italian (heritage-wise; I was born in the USofA), there is a serious lack of Italian-inspired dishes here on the blog.
I mean, sure. We have pasta. Like lots of pasta. We have pizza. We have homemade bread.
But that’s…it. And Italian food is so much more than pasta, pizza, and bread.
So. A fun little goal I’m setting this year is to share more Italian-esque recipes with ya! And we’re starting today with the antipasto salad to end all antipasto salads.
Oh, before I get into this…why haven’t any of you told me how awesome couscous is? I’m slightly mad at you.
Just kidding. But seriously. Couscous is AWESOME. And so quick to prepare…like 10 minutes. What what what.
So much time I’ve wasted, slaving away over boiling pots of rice, farro, and the like. Instead, I could have just poured
Mistakes were made, but these mistakes are no more. I will have no less than three bags of couscous in my pantry at all times starting now. And I suggest you do the same!
It add such an incredible delicate but hardy texture to this salad, and I love it. Plus, it soaks up all the dressing and gets even tastier. Love love love!
The actual antipasto part of this salad is very very simple – two kinds of olives, grilled artichokes, white beans, and sun-dried tomatoes. All the things that make me so very happy.
And that’s that! Do a little mix-mix-mixin’, and you have a filling, rich, tangy, ultra-yummy meal perfect for summer!
I love love love it. I had this for like…5 days straight. Without complaint! If that doesn’t say “love,” I don’t know what does.
PrintAntipasto Couscous Salad
An Italian-inspired salad full of flavor and texture! If you’re a fan of the olive bar at your local grocery store, you’ll love this salad!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 5-6 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
SALAD:
1 can pitted green olives, drained
1 jar kalamata olives, drained
1 jar artichoke halves, drained*
3 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips**
1 14-oz. can great white northern beans, drained and rinsed
DRESSING:
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. granulated garlic
1/4 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
salt + pepper
TO FINISH:
3/4 cup couscous, cooked according to package instructions
a few handfuls of your favorite greens***
a small handful of toasted pine nuts
Instructions
- Add all of your SALAD ingredients to a large bowl, and toss to combine.
- In a separate smaller bowl or jar, add your DRESSING ingredients, and whisk to combine.
- Add your dressing to your salad ingredients, and mix to combine. Toss with your couscous and greens, and top with pine nuts. YUM.
Notes
*I used marinated grilled artichoke halves for extra flavor!
**I used dry (aka. not packed in oil) sun-dried tomatoes. Feel free to use the ones packed in oil, just drain ’em first.
***I used baby kale, but spinach, arugula, or mixed greens would be great!
This looks so good!
My husband has Italian heritage (not me, but I make up for it with my love of Italian food), so we cook a lot of Italian things! This is so gloriously simple but full of so many awesome flavors.
So fun! Enjoy!
We made this recipe to take as a side to a dinner party a few days ago, and it was a big hit! People couldn’t help but keep going back for more. It’s a good thing we made a big batch, because I thoroughly enjoyed (and possibly greedily hoarded) the leftovers we brought home, as well. Love it!
YAY! One of my FAVES. Man. Might make this again this week ;)
How does this store with the greens!? If we don’t finish it all, will the greens be wilted? I’m thinking I would have it for dinner one night and lunch the next day.