Southwestern Couscous Salad

Today I wanted to bring my Israeli couscous salad over to a girlfriend's house for lunch. I have several versions of it that make but thought of doing yet another twist on it.

It was a little Mexican, a little Southwestern. A whole lotta yum! The Cotija cheese and black beans really made it a complete meal.

Southwestern Couscous Salad

Dressing

• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Salad

• 8oz. of dried Israeli couscous; cooked according to package directions; set aside to cool; orzo could work                                                             
• 2 large organic Roma tomatoes; large dice
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes
• 8 oz can whole corn kernels, drained well
• 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained well
• 1/3 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro (optional), chopped fine

Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk it all together. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the cooked couscous, tomatoes, cucumber, corn and black beans (and cilantro if you like). Pour the dressing on top and use a large spoon to gently fold everything together. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed. When you are ready to serve, sprinkle the Cotija cheese on top.