Couscous Salad

Looking through all the recipes I’ve posted lately, I realised that I haven’t shared a salad in ages. Which is funny because salads are what compelled me to blog in the first place! So why not jump straight in with one of my family’s favorites, my Couscous Salad.

This dish was one of the first things I was able to get the kid to eat (without a fight) when he was going through his fussy faze. Seriously, I felt like I had won the lotto. There are few things more distressing than a small child that doesn’t want to eat.

Fast forward a few years and my Couscous Salad is now on regular rotation at our place. I make it as a side for dinner then give it to the kid for his school lunch the next day. Couldn’t be easier.

So what is couscous? Often referred to as a grain, couscous is really more a kind of pasta. Made from crushed durum wheat semolina, you will usually find it served with stews.

I love to eat couscous because it’s mad yummy and it’s good for you. It’s low GI and has a decent amount of protein per serve. And don’t be fooled by those that say it’s hard to prepare. All you do is put 1 cup of couscous in a bowl and cover it with 1 cup of water from a freshly boiled kettle. Then let it sit until the couscous has absorbed all the water. Simple!

My favorite way to eat couscous is in a salad like this one. The bright pop of cherry tomatoes, clean crunch of cucumber, and salty kalamata olives gives this salad a Mediterranean feel that I just love. What’s more, the fresh simple ingredients finished off with an easy lemon dressing makes it a great salad to serve up when you’re feeding a crowd.

What about you? What’s your favorite couscous salad combo?

Serves 4

1 cup couscous

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup kalamata olives (pips removed and halved)

1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)

1 or 2 Lebanese cucumbers (diced)

For the dressing:

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Start by preparing your couscous. Place 1 cup of couscous into a glass bowl (make sure the bowl is big enough to accommodate the couscous expanding a bit) and cover with 1 cup of water from a freshly boiled kettle. Now set it to one side. Your couscous is ready when all the water has been absorbed. This normally takes around 10 minutes or so.
While you’re waiting on your couscous you can prepare your dressing. Place all ingredients for the dressing into a clean glass jar, pop the lid on and shake vigorously until combined. Now have a taste. If you think you need a little more salt or pepper you can add it here. Once the dressing is to your liking set it aside until you’re ready to dress the salad.
Place your cherry tomatoes, diced cucumbers, and kalamata olives into a large glass mixing bowl.
Now, with a fork, scrape the top of the couscous so that all of the little beads come apart (this is the best way to ensure you get lovely separate pearls of couscous instead of great big clumps). Continue to separate the couscous in this way, transferring it into the bowl with the veggies as you go.
Once all the couscous is in the glass mixing bowl with the veggies it’s time to add your dressing. Pour your lemon dressing over the couscous and mix through the salad with a fork until all the ingredients are evenly coated. Have a taste, add some more lemon juice, salt or pepper if you think it needs it. Now set the salad aside for at least 15 minutes before serving. This gives the couscous some time to absorb all of those fresh flavours.