I always feel “healthy” for eating a couscous salad. I can’t quite explain it, but I do. I feel that if I had a Halo, I could polish it! Maybe it’s the fresh raw veggies and herbs. Or that we tend to eat it with some grilled Haloumi or crumbled feta, alongside a dish of beans in a tomato sauce, with some toasted pita or flatbreads at the ready. It’s a clean fresh tasting meal.

Each time I make this dish it is slightly different as it varies according to what fresh herbs I can get or have in the garden. It’s also a great dish for sharing with friends and family and can be made several hours in advance. I like the taste a preserved lemon gives to this dish, but if you don’t have any, then use fresh lemon juice instead.

The quantities I’ve given were for 2 of us, with some leftovers for lunch in the week.

Couscous Salad

Ingredients ~

• 150g Couscous
• 1 tbls of chopped toasted almonds or hazelnuts
• 1 preserved Lemon
• 1/2 red onion, peeled and very finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, de-seeded and finely chopped
• 1 small cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 small courgette, finely chopped
• 2 tbls of chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 tbls of chopped mint
• approx 2 tbls of olive oil
• Salt and pepper to season

Optional extras ~ chopped coriander, or dill, a chopped garlic clove, a squeeze of lemon juice, chopped cherry tomatoes – get inventive!

Method ~

• I use the ready / easy cook couscous, which in fact takes no actual cooking.
• I put the couscous in a large bowl and add approximately 1/2 litre of boiled water. I then put a lid or a large plate to cover the bowl and leave it for 15 minutes. Take the lid or plate off and fluff up the couscous with a fork. You are aiming to separate out the grains. It takes a few minutes to do this.
• Now start adding all your prepared vegetables and herbs
• Next add the olive oil and lemon juice – you are looking to lightly coat the couscous, not drown it!
• And mix very well, but gently with a fork
• Taste to see if you need some salt, I like some fresh ground black pepper.

Gardening Notes ~

I used some yellow Jemmer courgettes and Napia Pointy Red Peppers.