Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Crispy Tofu Recipe

Fresh Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Crispy Tofu tossed with herbs, veggies, and a zesty dressing. A healthy delicious meal.

Salads are my jam and as we ease into this new season, I prefer to keep them somewhat hardy, but with spring-like flair like this Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Crispy Tofu.  Couscous are small granules of semolina that when steamed with equal parts water, become fluffy with the ability to take-on other flavors.

Creating crispy tofu can be a matter of patience.  Tofu or bean curd can be found in almost every grocers these days and there are so many varieties.  I prefer sprouted organic tofu that’s firm and easy to rub with dried spices and sear in a pan to create a crispy crust that’s lovely in this Mediterranean Couscous Salad.  The trick to getting a superior crust is to sear it on each side for at least 6-8 minutes or until deep dark brown — tofu has a large water content and it takes a few minutes for it dehydrate enough to get that crust.

As the for the other components of this Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Crispy Tofu — it’s sliced cucumber, avocado and lots of fresh herbs.  This springtime dish comes with veggies and vinaigrette that are packed with flavor and when tossed together — become a main course for lunch or dinner on any night, or brunch on the weekends.

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Ingredients

• 1 cups dried couscous
• 12 ounces firm tofu, about 1 inch thick
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cucumber sliced in half-moon pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro or mint, roughly chopped
• 1 large avocado, sliced
• Lime wedges for serving
• Vinaigrette
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 shallot, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil or avocado oil + more for cooking

Tips

• Press tofu with paper towels several times before dusting with rub to remove excess water
• substitute mint for cilantro, if that’s not your jam
• olives, cherry tomatoes and feta cheese would be a fun addition to this salad

(Serves 4)

To Prepare:

1. Boil 1 cup of water in a saucepan and add couscous, stir.  Turn off heat and cover with lid.
2. Remove tofu from packaging.  Place paper towels underneath and on top of tofu, press several times to remove water.
3. In a small bowl, combine salt, paprika, onion powder, ground cumin, and black pepper, stir.
4. Rub on both sides of tofu.  In a small skillet, add 1 tablespoon oil and place over high heat.
5. After 3 minutes, add tofu.  Sear on first side for at least 7 minutes or until deep brown crust, flip.  Repeat on other side.
6. Fluff cooked couscous with a fork and place in a big salad bowl.  Add sliced cucumber, herbs and avocado.  Cut tofu into small blocks, add to bowl.
7. In a small jar with fitted lid, add all vinaigrette ingredients – shake, shake, shake until combined.  Pour over top of salad and toss.  Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
8. Serve on plates with lime wedges.  Enjoy!

This Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Crispy Tofu is great the next day too after marinating in the vinaigrette overnight.  Delicious to pack for lunch as well.