Ogreskin (Cucumber and Garbanzo Bean) Salad
Not the prettiest of salads, but certainly one of the tastiest!
This Greek influenced spoon salad is both refreshing and satisfying. It’s cool and fresh, but hearty with couscous and garbanzo beans. A cinch to prepare, but do make it ahead of time so it can flavor meld for a couple of hours. It’s better the next day and will hold well in the fridge for a few days. Perfect for hot days, but I’m not gonna lie, I’ve warmed it up in the microwave…and it was still A-MAZING!
Cucumber, Garbanzo, and Couscous (Ogre Skin) Spoon Salad
Serves 8
CKD Buddies: K+ 196mg PHO 72g PRO 6g
DASH Buddies: 2V, 2PR, 1FA
Salad:
2 cup washed, peeled, and chopped cucumber
1 15.5oz can of garbanzo beans - drained, leached*, and rinsed to cool
2 cups cooked israeli couscous (no oil, butter, or flavorings added, please)
½ cup chopped scallion (green onion, spring onion…same-o same-o)
½ cup finely chopped onion (red, white, yellow, shallot…it’s all great!)
1 tangerine, peeled and chopped fine ~OR~
10 sections of canned - in juice or water - mandarin orange (drink the juice, then put the rest in some dessert gelatin so you can have a sweet treat later on!)
½ cup chopped cilantro (This is optional. You can substitute parsley, but it raises the K+ count quite a bit.)
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 oz feta cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup your favorite Italian Dressing
Dressing:
½ cup vinegar - any type you like. I like to mix cider vinegar and red wine vinegar…bright and sparkly!
½ cup olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic, minced finely or put through a garlic press
Fresh or dried oregano, thyme, and rosemary or your favorite Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Some tips for dialing the flavor up to 11:
Make the dressing first
Let your couscous and garbanzos marinade in it while you chop your freshies and put the salad together
Put your marinating starches in the fridge…rice, pastas and legumes can grow nasty bacteria really quickly! Food safety is always a priority!
