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Green Romesco and Couscous Salad with Roasted Zucchini

5 | 10 reviews
I love a good romesco, and while a green romesco is a big variation from the original, the same bright, fresh taste comes through. The flavorful romesco is the base of this salad, with a white bean and couscous salad making up the rest of it. I add roasted zucchini and red onion, but really any roasted vegetables you love would be wonderful in this easy meal. Serve it with a roasted protein for a heartier meal, or as a bean salad for a lighter version of meal prep.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

For the green romesco sauce
  • 1 large green bell pepper
  • 1 small jalapeño or Serrano pepper, seeds removed
  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • Juice from one lemon, about 2-3 tablespoons
  • 1/2 cup roasted almonds, preferably unsalted
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro
For the salad
  • 3 large zucchini
  • 1 large red onion
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup uncooked couscous
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 cup fresh mint
  • 1 15- ounce can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • Juice from 1/2 of a lemon

Instructions 

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. While the oven is preheating, core and chop the green bell pepper. Slice and remove the seeds from the jalapeño. Add these to a blender with 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (use half if using Morton's), the juice from one lemon, 1/2 cup roasted almonds and one cup of cilantro. Blend until very smooth. Taste and season with salt as needed and set aside.
  3. Chop the zucchini into bite-sized spears and chop the red onion into large slivers, add these to a half sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few cracks of black pepper.
  4. Add the sheet pan to the oven to roast at 375°F for 25-30 minutes or until the red onion is beginning to soften and char and the zucchini is golden on the underside.
  5. While those vegetables are roasting, cook the couscous according to package instructions. My preferred way is to add 1 cup of water to a pot, bring it to a boil, generously salt it, add the couscous, cover and immediately turn off the heat. Let this sit for 10 minutes and then fluff with a fork.
  6. Assemble the salad: When the zucchini and red onion are finished roasting, add them to a large bowl. Pour in the couscous. Roughly chop 1 cup of fresh cilantro and tear up 1 cup of mint leaves. Add those in. Add in 1 can of drained and rinsed kidney beans.
  7. Season this bowl with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, the juice from 1/2 of a lemon, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Mix, taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
  8. Either plate the salad with a generous swipe of romesco on the bottom of the plate (I love doing this when I'm serving this as a dinner party platter), or mix the romesco into the salad until everything is evenly coated. Scoop into individual portions, which are great for dinner or meal prep.
Serving: 8ozCalories: 436kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 13gFat: 19g