Chorizo corn salad with pearl couscous
This chorizo salad includes couscous, greens, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and a delicious homemade cream sauce for a wholesome lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
 | 1/2 lb of chorizo sausage, such as dried Spanish chorizo |
 | 1.5 cups of couscous, quinoa or bulger, I’m using pearl couscous. |
 | 5 oz of canned sweet corn (140 g) |
 | 1 cup of cherry tomatoes |
 | 2 oz of mixed greens, such as arugula, mâche, frisée, chicory, romain lettuce, baby spinach, etc. |
 | (Optional) 1/2 red onion or sweet onion, chopped |
 | 3 cups of liquid vegetable stock or liquid chicken stock to cook the lentils. You can also use water with a stock cube. |
Accents for the sauce:
 | 200 g (3/4 cup) of regular or low fat greek yogurt. |
 | 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or flakes |
 | 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley leaves |
 | 1 teaspoon of paprika |
 | 1/2 lemon for juice |
 | Pinch of salt and pepper |
How to make this chorizo and corn salad
Cooking Pearl Couscous on Stovetop
- Boil the pearl couscous with water and salt in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Cook on medium-high for 8–10 minutes, until the water is absorbed.
- Fluff with a fork, remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.
Cooking Pearl Couscous in the rice cooker
- Add the couscous, water, and salt to the rice cooker and turn it on.
- Fluff with a fork once done, transfer to a large bowl, and let cool to room temperature.
Salad Preparation
- Toss well and serve.
- Slice the chorizo, cherry tomatoes, and red onion thinly.
- Drain the sweet corn.
- Mix the salad dressing ingredients with the sweet corn in a large salad bowl.
- Cook the chorizo in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cherry tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes, letting the juices release.
- Combine the cooled couscous with the mixed greens, sweet corn, and dressing.
- Add the warm chorizo, tomatoes, and all the flavorful juices from the pan.
With a strong Mediterranean influence, this sumptuous recipe combines Spanish chorizo with tangy cherry tomatoes, and a hearty pearl couscous salad.
It is a light and nutritious meal, that still manages to have plenty of flavor. And it is a versatile meal that can be served for dinner, or packed the next day for lunch.
The key to this couscous salad is that in effect it almost has two sauces. On one hand is the herbed greek yogurt dressing that is rich and creamy.
This is then combined with the juices of the cooked chorizo and cherry tomatoes that meld together with a tartness to add another level to the salad.
Cooking tips
- Spanish chorizo is a dried cured sausage, while Mexican chorizo is a fresh sausage with ground meat. I’m using a dried Spanish chorizo, but you can use whichever you prefer. If you are using Mexican chorizo, be sure to cook it on a stovetop beforehand.
- I like to cook the couscous in liquid stock for more flavor, but you can also use water. Another option is to use water with a cube stock.
- If you are using a rice cooker to cook the couscous, I don’t recommend a cube stock as it will clump together and not mix well in the rice cooker.
- Canned yellow corn doesn’t need to be cooked, so it is a great way to prepare a salad quickly.
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Chorizo corn salad with pearl couscous
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups uncooked pearl couscous
- 3 cups water, liquid chicken stock, or liquid vegetable stock
- 1/2 lb of chorizo sausage
- 5 oz of canned sweet corn (140 g)
- 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
- 2 oz of mixed greens
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
For the salad dressing
- 200 g of greek yogurt (3/4 cup)
- 1/2 lemon for juice
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
Pearl couscous on the stove top:
- In a saucepan, add the pearl couscous along with water and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- On medium-high, cook the couscous about 8-10 minutes, or until water is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and mix with a fork.
- Let couscous cool to room temperature.
Pearl Couscous in a rice cooker:
- Add the couscous, water and salt into the the rice cooker and turn it on.
- Once it is finished, remove from the rice cooker into a large bowl and mix with a fork.
- Let couscous cool to room temperature.
Other ingredients:
- Chop the chorizo, cherry tomatoes, red onion into thin slices.
- Open the can of sweet corn and drain the water.
- In a large salad bowl bowl, combine the salad dressing ingredients along with the sweet corn.
- On a stovetop at medium heat, cook the chorizo for 5 minutes in a saucepan.
- Once the chorizo juices start flowing in the saucepan, add the chopped cherry tomatoes for 2 minutes.
- Move the couscous to the large salad bowl, and combine it with the mixed greens, sweet corn, and salad dressing.
- Add the warm chorizo and cherry tomatoes, along with all the juices from the saucepan into the salad.
- Toss the salad and serve.
Nutrition
Please note: We are not certified nutritionists and these estimates written and produced for entertainment purposes only.
What to serve with it?
This chorizo corn and couscous salad is a great light and healthy lunch or dinner by itself, but you can also serve it as a side dish along with other meals such as this pork belly bites on gyro or this Italian beef and spinach pizza.
How to store it?
You can easily prepare this chorizo corn salad with couscous at least a few hours in advance. However, I recommend keeping the salad dressing separately, so that the salad doesn’t dry out. Just add the salad dressing in when you are ready to eat.
