Minty Chickpea Salad with Couscous

Minty Chickpea Salad with Couscous

1 10-ounce box couscous
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
1 pounds beefsteak tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/2 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh mint, torn
1/4 cup roasted sliced almonds

Place the couscous in a medium bowl, pour 1 1/2 cups hot tap water over the top, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Stir in the chickpeas, orange zest, 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

In a separate bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, mint, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the remaining oil. Spoon the couscous and tomatoes onto a platter and sprinkle with the almonds.

I also like bulgur wheat in place of the couscous, using the same hot-water "cooking" technique. Use 3 cups water to 1 cup bulgur wheat and increase the sitting time to 45 minutes. In addition, I have added dried cranberries and crumbled feta cheese to change the dimension of the above.