Outrageously delicious! The umami flavor of the slowly sautéed cabbage combines beautifully with the sweetness of the orange caramelized onions and perfectly seasoned wholegrain couscous! The chickpeas are a nice protein addition. The only trick to this Orange Caramelized Cabbage Couscous recipe is to have the patience to cook down the veggies for a good 30 minutes so as to bring out their full caramelized flavor! You can make it ahead and serve it cold if you’d like so it also makes for a great picnic salad!
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat couscous, dry
Dressing:
Juice of 1 large orange (about ½ cup)
Juice of 1 small lemon (about ¼ cup)
½ cup organic extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp salt
Caramelized Cabbage:
¼ cup organic extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion (thinly sliced)
1 small curly cabbage (sliced or chopped finely)
1 small red cabbage (sliced or chopped finely)
Juice of 1 large orange (about ½ cup)
1 (15 oz) can (non-PBA lining) chickpeas (rinsed & drained)
½ tsp salt
fresh ground pepper to taste 
Instructions:
1. Place dry, uncooked couscous in a large salad bowl.
2. Mix all the dressing ingredients together and pour over the dry couscous, stirring once to coat well and let it sit for 10 minutes, uncovered.
3. Meanwhile, heat ¼ cup of olive oil in a large pan and sautee the onions for a few minutes, until soft.
4. Add the chopped cabbage to the pan (don't worry it will seem like a lot but it will cook down-I promise!) and stir often to coat with oil, continuing to cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.
5. Add the ½ cup of fresh orange juice, chickpeas and salt and continue to cook, uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the cabbage is of a golden color.
6. Turn off the heat, and let it cool a little bit.
7. When ready to serve, gently stir the caramelized cabbage/onions with the "marinated" couscous in the salad bowl.
You can serve this dish, hot, or at room temperature or even cold the next day–all superb!
This post originally appeared on Cuisinicity.com.
