This fresh and delicious cherry tomato couscous salad is perfect for summer meals on the deck as a side dish or a quick lunch from the fridge. It’s the kind recipe that can be made ahead of time because the longer it marinates, the better it tastes. I used to make it with cheese tortellini, but it tastes great with any pasta, quinoa, rice, or in this case couscous.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pearled coucous
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped blanched sugar snap peas

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil, or 1 teaspoon dry
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 1 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 or 2 chopped garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

What to do:

1. Cook couscous according to directions on package, then rinse in cold water and drain.
2. Blanch sugar snap peas for 1 1/2minutes, then transfer them to bowl of ice water.
3. Put all ingredients for dressing in a container, cover, and shake well.
4. Combine couscous, cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and dressing in bowl and mix.

I suggest refrigerating for a couple hours before eating. The longer it sits, the better it tastes!

Enjoy!