What type of food do you like for lunch? Are you a sandwich person, salad person or leftover queen? I’m a combination of the last two.
This Mandarin, Treviso and Fennel Couscous Salad has been my lunch the last few days. I’ve mentioned before that I love couscous salads, and this is my new favourite.
Each week I receive my farm box I love seeing what fruit and vegetables are inside to inspire me. Last week it was Treviso and I was inspired to use it to create a delicious and healthy lunch. Treviso is a variety of radicchio that has long cylindrical shaped leaves, similar to an endive. Treviso is related to radicchio but is not quite as bitter as radicchio. Interestingly, the bitter compound in radicchio and treviso is said to have sedative and pain killer properties.
So, for my couscous salad the slightly bitter treviso is paired with thinly sliced fennel stalks, spring onions, mandarins and couscous and dressed in a honey, lemon and mustard dressing. The final touch is chopped hazelnuts and fennel fronds. It’s delicious, healthy and colourful.
So tell me, what type of things do you have for lunch?
- 200g of couscous
- 250ml of hot vegetable stock
- 6 Treviso leaves, shredded
- 2 fennel stalks, sliced
- 3 mandarins, peeled and segmented
- 3 spring onions, finely sliced
- ¼ cup of hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- fennel fronds
- HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING:
- 2 tbs of olive oil
- 1 tbs of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 tsp of honey
- 2 tsp of Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- Place the vegetable stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and place the couscous in a large bowl and pour the hot stock over the top. Stir to combine and then cover with cling film and set aside for 10 minutes.
- To make the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a mini food processor and process to combine. Alternatively combine the ingredients in a glass jar and shake until combined.
- Using a fork carefully fluff up the couscous. Add the treviso, spring onions, fennel and mix to combine. Add the dressing and stir through. Divide between 2 plates and top with the mandarin segments, hazelnuts and fennel fronds.
I love couscous salads too. This is just beautiful with the mandarin segments and hazelnuts!
I never think to put mandarins in salads! Yum!
A beautiful and healthy salad! This combination is divine.
Cheers,
Rosa
Awesome recipe, I will definitely try it. I loved your pictures too, always so bright and happy.
Couscous salad is one of my favourites. I'm not a great lover of traditional leafy salads.
I'm the leftover queen for lunch. I have to have something exciting and the thought of enjoying last night's dinner again always fits the bill!
A stunning salad with beautiful flavours my friend :D
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I'm a sandwich and salad person. I'll do leftovers but I don't look forward to them.
Yup salad and leftover queen for me! Although with this colder weather, it's more steamed vegetables or soup for lunch nowadays. I'm not really a bitter leaf lover but when you described the dressing, I was thinking that's the perfect balance!
Couscous with fresh veggies and fruits...ought to be a perfect summer treat! Lovely clicks, Jennifer.
Your salad looks lovely Jennifer. I would like to try treviso. I often loose track of the time in the day and have a quick snack for lunch, or what ever left overs the kids leave behind!
I love substantial salads like this, they're absolutely perfect for lunch!
our lunch is mostly typical Indian such. Some light stir fry or curry with Indian flat bread. Couscous salad is one of my favorite for summer time when I feel so lazy to cook. I like your version, will give this a try!
That looks lovely! Mandarins are every where now so I will try this out :)
How divine is this salad - very much like the salads I make and totally enjoy at home too. I am a salad and soup kind of person for lunch although I also have to say a nice curry is always good !
I am most definitely a salad person for lunch. This is right up my alley!
I'm like you, I like leftovers or a salad for lunch. Just something easy and light.
Oh how lovely! I love that you put bright color mandarin and couscous on a black plate with black fork. The food stand out beautifully!
Love the sound of this salad. I have never been a sandwich person for lunch, I think it relates back to hot soggy ones in the school lunch box 0 eww.
This looks absolutely delicious! definitely one to try, although I don't have anywhere I could find trevisio :(