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5.0 from 3 votes

Cypriot Grain Salad

Cypriot Grain Salad is a delicious fresh couscous salad packed with nuts, seeds, fresh herbs and then finished off with yoghurt, cumin, and pomegranate seeds.

Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 8 as a side
Calories: 175 kcal
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients

  • 1 cup wholemeal couscous (uncooked)
  • ½ cup tinned/canned lentils rinsed and drained
  • 3 tablespoon slivered almonds
  • 3 tablespoon pine nuts
  • 1 cup parsley leaves (firmly packed) roughly chopped (usually 1 bunch)
  • ½ cup coriander (cilantro) leaves (firmly packed) roughly chopped (usually half a bunch)
  • ½ small red onion finely chopped (see my notes)
  • ½ cup currants
  • 2 tablespoon baby capers
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • salt to taste
Yogurt dressing
  • 1 cup Greek yoghurt I used low fat
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin plus an extra pinch for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • pomegranate seeds (see my notes)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Add slivered almonds and pine nuts to a small frying pan and stir over low heat to toast, then set aside.
  2. To make the yoghurt dressing add greek yoghurt to a small bowl, then stir in ground cumin and honey and set aside.
  3. To assemble the salad, take a medium bowl and prepare the couscous as per the package directions then once cooked fluff with a fork to separate the grains.
  4. Then add the lentils, parsley, coriander (cilantro), red onion, currants, capers, and reserved nuts, then mix well to combine.
  5. Add olive oil, lemon juice, and salt to taste.
  6. Tip salad into a serving dish, dollop the yoghurt mixture on top then scatter over pomegranate seeds, sprinkle with an extra pinch of ground cumin to garnish and then serve.

Notes

  • *Please note that the amount of calories per serve is provided as a guide only, as ingredients and cooking methods can vary greatly*
  • Watch the slivered almonds carefully as you toast them, their flat sides mean that they don't roll around as readily as the pine nuts (despite stirring) and can get brown very quickly on one side. As an alternative, you could buy them already toasted if they are available to you.
  • I used a whole pomegranate, and you can mix any extra seeds (arils) through the salad before it's topped with the yoghurt and decorated with pomegranate seeds.
  • If you need help seeding a pomegranate, an easy way is to cut it in half around the middle then hold the half (cut side down) over a large deep bowl and give the base a good whack with the flat side of a meat mallet, or a sturdy wooden spoon or rolling pin. Pro tip - these will stain so don't wear white or your good clothes just in case!
  • Another option (and slightly less messy) is to slice off the crown (the top sticky-out part) to expose some of the seeds and the white membrane inside. You will notice as you look from the top down that the pomegranate has large segments or chambers of seeds (like an orange) that are separated by a white membrane. Take a small sharp knife and score the skin of the pomegranate down these lines of the membrane (not going all the way to the base) then peel out the sides like petals and use your fingers to tease out the seeds or turn it upside down over a bowl and give it a bash like the first method above. Again don't wear your best clothes!
  • To take some of the heat out of the red onion, place the chopped onion in a fine sieve and run it under some cool water then allow it to drain and dry it well with a paper towel before adding it to the salad.

Nutrition Information

Calories 175kcal (9%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8as a side

Amount Per Serving

Calories 175

% Daily Value*

Calories 175kcal 9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.