Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cherry tomatoes(half for roasting, half raw)
  • Extra-virgin olive oilfor drizzling
  • 1 cup dry Israeli couscous
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juicemore if desired
  • 1 garlic cloveminced
  • Leaves from 6 sprigs fresh thymemore for garnish
  •  cups roasted chickpeastossed with 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika before roasting
  • ¼ cup fresh basilmore for garnish
  • 2 Persian cucumbersthinly sliced
  •  cup crumbled feta cheese
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  • Roast 2 cups of the cherry tomatoes according to this recipe. These can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for a few days.
  • Cook the couscous according to the package directions until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
  • In the bottom of a large bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the lemon juice, garlic, thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Add the cooled couscous and toss. Slice the remaining raw cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl with the roasted tomatoes, the chickpeas, basil, cucumbers, and feta. Top with more fresh herbs and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Season to taste.