Jacqueline Casey 
I don’t always notice pomegranates in the produce section, but when I do, I think of this salad. The pomegranates, goat cheese and arugula give a tangy, creamy and fresh combination and the addition of the cous-cous makes this filling enough to eat on it’s own for a lunch or a great side dish for virtually any dinner. It’s also always nice to have a side dish that can be thrown together in under 15 minutes!
Options, Tips and Substitutions!
- This is one of those recipes where you might not be able to find the exact measurements for some of the ingredients such as the pomegranates. For example, the first time I made this the package of pomegranates was 5 oz. and the next time 4 oz. In both situations I added the entire package of pomegranates. If you happen to have a very large bag or package of pomegranates, 1 cup of pomegranates is an ideal measurement.
- For the goat cheese, I had a 4 oz. package and I used 1/2 of the amount. You could use less or more cheese to top depending on your preference.
- But do you hate goat cheese? You can substitute another cheese such as a mild feta or manchego cheese.
- If serving this on it’s own for lunch, it should be good for 4 large portions. For a side dish (and of course depending on how many side dishes are being served), this would be good for 6-8 people.
- White vinegar or apple-wine vinegar could be substituted for the red-wine vinegar.
- You could also use a store-bought vinaigrette dressing.
- Like most salads, this is best served fresh and the same day it’s prepared, but because it’s usually just myself and husband having this, we’ve had this for lunch the next day and it’s still pretty good. Basically, it’s best to eat all in the same day, but if you hate throwing food away, it’s edible the next day (but not so much after that).
Pomegranate, Cous·cous, Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad
Pomegranates and cous·cous is mixed with arugula then topped with goat cheese and vinaigrette dressing for a tangy and fresh salad that is filling enough on it's own for a light lunch, or a perfect side dish.
- 5 oz. bag of arugula lettuce
- 1 cup cous·cous
- 4 oz. pomegranate
- 2 oz. goat cheese
Red Wine Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1½ tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- salt and pepper
Cook cous-cous following the directions from it's box. For example, "In sauce pan, combine 1 cup water, 2 Tbsp. Butter, and ½ tsp salt. Bring to boil and remove from heat. Pour 1 cup dry cous-cous into the sauce pan. Stir well. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with Fork."
While cous-cous is cooking rinse arugula and place in colander to dry. prepare the red wine vinaigrette by whisking olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijion mustard, honey and salt and pepper, in a small bowl. Place to the side.
Add cooked cous-cous to large salad bowl. Add arugula and vinaigrette and toss together.
Top with pomegranates and goat cheese. If you prefer, you can also mix the pomegranates and goat cheese into the salad with a few tosses.
