PEARLED COUSCOUS SALAD WITH PINE NUTS, LIME, AND COTIJA

Sometimes, I sit back and think about how much better my day could have been if I just would have had the foresight to make myself a good lunch. I mean, really, lets think about it. Whatever you’re doing during the day, be it sitting in an office doing your actual job (aka researching your next trip) or sitting out the thunderstorm that just chased you down a ridge-line with your tail between your legs, it would be greatly improved upon if you had something tasty to look forward to when your tummy starts grumbling. So lets say goodbye to calling tortillas and peanut butter ‘lunch’ and do ourselves a favor by putting something in our backpack that makes climbing that off-width pitch right before noon feel less like Hell on Earth once we eat it.

I don’t want to brag, but this tasty plant based salad will brighten up pretty much any scenario it’s eaten in. Pearled couscous makes a light but filling base, lime juice and olive oil offer refreshing taste, and pine nuts pack an extra protein punch. Add in red onion, spinach, and some crumbles of cotija cheese and you’ve taste buds are gonna be like “whattt” and you’re gonna be like “yep. I’m amazing. Best cook ever” and then you’ll probably go on and crush your project/actually enjoy your evening run/smile at that person that cuts you off in rush hour instead of flipping them the bird. It’s amazing the things a good midday meal can do!

Why would I bring a salad with me when I’m hiking/climbing/other activity that smashes all my belongings into a backpack? I’m so glad you asked! Because this salad is made with a base of couscous instead of greens, the couscous absorbs the moisture from the dressing, packing in flavor while keeping your lunch sog-free. Bonus, it’ll take up less space in your pack than a sandwich when you pack it in a reusable plastic baggie (see my picture for proof). Reusable plastic baggies are a great, sustainable, and affordable option for storing food, and you should go get some right now. Show some love for Mother Nature. You know you should.

Now that you know all the reasons why this salad rocks, here’s the recipe!

Pearled Couscous Salad with Pine Nuts, Lime, and Cotija

• 1/2 cup pearled couscous

• 2 Tbsp pine nuts

• 1/2 cup spinach

• 1/8-1/4 of a small red onion

• 1/4 cup of cotija cheese, crumbled (omit or sub vegan parmesan to make recipe vegan/dairy free)

• juice of 1 lime (+ 1/2 more depending on taste preference)

• 2 tsp of olive oil

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 and 1/2 cups water

Place pearled couscous and 1/2 tsp of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and toast for 1-2 minutes, then add water. Bring to a light simmer and cook until couscous is soft and almost all water is absorbed, about 10 mins (let simmer for the most part, and stir a few times during the last few minutes to ensure couscous isn’t starting to stick to bottom of pan). Once couscous is soft, drain excess water if needed, toss in additional olive oil to coat (this prevents the grains from clumping together when they dry) and let cool for 10 mins. While couscous cools, finely dice red onion and cut spinach leaves into strips. To put it all together, add onion and spinach to couscous, crumble in cotija cheese, squeeze lime juice in, top with pine nuts, and season with salt and pepper to your desire (I typically add about 1/4 tsp of salt, but I really like salt). Mix all ingredients together, toss in a container suitable for your days activities, and thank yourself in advance for making your day a whole lot better.

Serves 1 hungry human

Grittify: The main ingredients that make this recipe go are the couscous, olive oil, and seasoning. If you’re working it without a cooler, I’d suggest using kale instead of spinach for greens, as kale can live happily in a cup of water for about a week, and omitting the cotija. Pine nuts add great flavor here but you could sub more general varieties such as almonds without missing too much. Sub onion or garlic powder if you don’t have an onion available.

Gourmetify: If you’re not stuffing this somewhere hot for later, you can make this salad lighter and introduce some tasty new flavors by adding 1/4 cup of arugula and topping it with fresh cilantro.