Couscous salad

Dr. Sweetpea loves anything with spinach, tomatoes, and feta. So when I saw this recipe for a couscous salad with all three as ingredients, I had to make it as a side dish for our dinner! It only took one bite for him to tell me to never lose this recipe. It's so good that I made this as our side dish twice in a week. Definitely a keeper in our household.

Israeli Couscous Salad with Smoked Paprika

(Source: Giada)

Dressing:

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika (I used regular paprika)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Couscous:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/3 cups (8 ounces) Israeli couscous, sometimes called pearl couscous or maftoul

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups packed baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

12 ounces grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or baby heirloom tomatoes of assorted colors, halved

4 ounces (about 1 cup) feta, coarsely crumbled or chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup jarred red bell peppers, drained and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (I omitted)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing: Whisk the oil, vinegar, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.

For the couscous: Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Cook the couscous, stirring frequently, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water and the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the couscous is just tender and the liquid is absorbed, 9 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Mix together the spinach, tomatoes, cheese, peppers, parsley, almonds and mint in a large bowl. Add the couscous and the dressing. Toss until all the ingredients are coated. Transfer to a large serving bowl and serve.