Avocado couscous salad recipe

This is such a versatile salad, add chopped dried apricots, sultanas or even chopped apple. It tastes even better the next day, when the couscous has absorbed all the flavours. This recipe serves 6 people and takes 35 mins to prepare and cook. It's a really simple recipe bringing avocado, couscous, chickpeas together flavoured with mint, parsley and orange juice. This salad is better than all the rest and is sure to lighten up your work lunchbox. This salad would be great served as a side dish at a family BBQ.

Ingredients

• 2 avocados
• 500g couscous
• 1tbsp lemon juice
• 1 x 220g can chickpeas, drained
• 1 red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 pomegranate
• 4tbsp orange juice
• 2tbsp virgin olive oil
• 2tbsp mint, chopped
• 1tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 100g pine nuts, toasted

Method

1. Cover the couscous with boiling water. Cover with a damp teacloth and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Fork though to loosen the grains.
2. Peel and stone the avocado and cut into chunks. Toss in the lemon juice.
3. Mix together the avocado, chickpeas and pepper and add to the couscous.
4. Split the pomegranate and remove the seeds. Do this over a bowl so to catch any juices. Add the seeds to the couscous.
5. Add the orange juice to the lemon juice and whisk with the oil. Add the dressing and herbs to the couscous and fork through. Serve with a sprinkling of pine nuts.