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This is the perfect summer salad recipe for picnics and potlucks. It’s full of pearl couscous, quinoa, colorful vegetables and fruit.
A perfect summer salad recipe should look and taste like a rainbow. From juicy tomatoes and crisp greens to fresh peas and sweet pineapple, this salad ticks all the colorful boxes.
Pearl, or Israeli, couscous, is a thicker, and sometimes chewier “pearled” version of regular couscous. It’s one of the staples for this summer salad. There’s also red quinoa, which is often called a grain, but it’s actually a protein-packed seed. Both add some heft to this salad and are worth keeping in your pantry. Once you see how easy it is to incorporate them into your cooking, you’ll use them to bulk up grain salads and other recipes with little effort.
Like similar pasta salads, this nourishing summer salad is perfect as a stand-alone lunch or dinner, and it makes a great side dish.