Let’s welcome fall in with this Zucchini & Corn Couscous Salad. Fall screams warm, vibrant, and cozy - and this salad does all of that. I want you to have a salad that you could look forward to making on a weekday fall night or on a day off because you deserved it. You're going to love the combination of flavors here - warm, tangy, and sweet!
This is the perfect balanced lunch or dinner option for anyone to enjoy. You have protein from the chicken breast, plenty of fiber from the zucchini, corn, greens, red onion, and carbs from the couscous. Feel free to opt out of the chicken if you’re vegetarian or vegan, and swap for tofu or tempeh. You have approximately 28 g of protein in this meal. If you're opting to meal prep this salad, prep the dressing on the side and pour it on the day you want to eat it.
This is a very simple, yet delicious recipe for you to try. I told you, salads are not boring over here - they are filled with nutrients AND flavor. Let's get to it!
Yields: 1
Portion: 1 bowl
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
This recipe is nut free. Can be made dairy free if you opt out of the feta.
Ingredients:
Chicken:
1 chicken breast
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 zucchini, chopped into cubes
1 corn on the cob
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Sumac Marinated Onions:
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tbsp sumac (you can add more if you like)
1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper
1/4 tsp salt (salt to taste if needed)
1 cup pearl couscous
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
Handful of arugula
¼ cup crumbled feta
8 castelvetrano olives, sliced in halves
Optional garnish of pumpkin seeds
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven: preheat the oven to 400. Season chicken breast separately in a bowl with olive oil, salt, black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Mix seasonings in well. Line baking sheet with parchment paper a and place chicken breast onto pan. Remove the husks and silk from the corn cobs, and cut the stems off. Add zucchini and corn on the cob. Drizzle on olive oil onto zucchini & corn. Season with salt & black pepper to taste. Make sure zucchini & corn are evenly and well-coated with seasonings. Bake in oven until chicken breast is white on the inside and corn kernels look plump and are bright yellow in color.
2. Prep red onions: prep and place the thin strips of red onion into a serving bowl of choice. Add the olive oil, sumac, Aleppo pepper, and salt to the onions. Toss and allow onions to be coated evenly. Allow onions to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before adding to food, but you don't have to.
3. Prep couscous: follow directions on the box of couscous or follow this recipe. Add 1 cup of water, drizzle of olive oil, and dash of salt into small saucepan on medium heat. Once the water starts to boil add couscous. Allow couscous to soak up water. Set on the side uncovered and allow couscous to fluff.
4. Prep dressing: add olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper into a small bowl. Whisk well. Leave to the side.
5. Prep cooked ingredients: once the chicken, zucchini, and corn are done baking remove from oven gently. Allow the corn to cool for 5-10 minutes. Using a knife, prop up the corn onto a cutting board vertically and gently slice off the corn kernels off of each cob. Chop chicken breast into cubes.
6. Prep bowl: grab a serving bowl. Add arugula. Add ½ cup of cooked couscous. Add cooked zucchini cubes. Add corn kernels. Add chicken breast. Add marinated red onion to your liking (save the rest for later use!). Add olives and feta crumbles. Pour on dressing. Garnish with pumpkin seeds. Mix and adjust for salt. Enjoy!
I hope you love this recipe as much as I did, so if you do, please leave me a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I always read through my suggestions and comments, so please let me know your thoughts. If you have any questions you can feel free to DM me here or through Instagram. Speaking of Instagram - please tag me in all of your creations! I love seeing how the recipes come out and seeing how talented you all are. Sending my love.
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