Couscous Tuna Niçoise
8
Points®
Total time: 39 min • Prep: 19 min • Cook: 20 min • Serves: 4 • Difficulty: Easy
The aromatic oils in lemon zest give so much flavor to this salad and enhances the briny zing from the olives and capers. The zest of the lemon is the thin outermost yellow layer of the skin (without any of the bitter white part underneath). To remove the zest, rub the whole lemon against the fine side of a grater until the zest is grated away. You can get 1 to 2 teaspoons of grated lemon zest from 1 lemon. We’ve used goat cheese in this recipe, but you could substitute crumbled feta cheese if you’d like. Its flavor will just be a little more assertive.
Ingredients
Water
2¼ cup(s)
Uncooked Israeli couscous
5 oz
Red onion
1 medium, diced
Olives
12 olive(s), medium, kalamata, pitted and chopped
Fresh basil
½ cup(s), fresh, chopped
Capers
2 Tbsp, drained and rinsed
Lemon zest
3 tsp, grated
Fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp
Olive oil
1 Tbsp, extra-virgin
Dijon mustard
1 tsp
Table salt
¼ tsp
Canned chunk white tuna in water
12 oz, drained
Cherry tomatoes
1 cup(s), halved
Aged goat cheese
2 oz, reduced-fat, crumbled
Instructions
1
Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan; add the couscous. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; run the couscous under cold running water and drain well. Transfer the couscous to a large bowl.
2
Add the onion, olives, basil, capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, mustard, and salt to the couscous; toss well to combine.
3
Break the tuna into large chunks. Add the tuna and tomatoes to the couscous mixture and toss gently to combine. Sprinkle the salad with the goat cheese and serve at once. Yields 1 1/4 cups per serving.
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