Couscous Herb Salad

Name: Couscous Herb Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: couscous 120 g; cucumber 100 g; cherry tomato 120 g; parsley 15 g; lemon juice 1.5 tbsp; olive oil 1.5 tbsp; salt 0.4 tsp

Quick answer

Total time: 20 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Couscous never boils for this salad: boiling water is poured over, the bowl is covered, and five minutes of standing does the cooking.

Texture is decided afterward. Lifted apart with a fork, the grains stay light and separate; pressed or stirred, they clump into a sticky mass. Cucumber, cherry tomatoes and roughly chopped parsley add juice and freshness, and a lemon and olive oil dressing seasons it lightly. Let the steam escape completely first, or the vegetables soften. With parsley making up so much of the bowl, it eats more like tabbouleh than a heavy grain salad, and couscous that holds its texture at room temperature travels well in a lunch box or to a picnic.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Put 120 g couscous in a wide heatproof bowl and pour over 140 ml boiling water evenly.

Make sure the surface is just covered, then cover the bowl immediately so the steam stays trapped.
2

Let the couscous stand for 5 minutes without stirring while it absorbs the water.

Do not press or mix during this time, because disturbed grains can turn sticky instead of staying light.
3

Uncover the bowl and fluff from the bottom with the tips of a fork.

If any clumps remain, lift and shake them apart rather than mashing, so the couscous keeps a separate, fluffy texture.
4

Spread the fluffed couscous on a wide plate and cool it for about 10 minutes.

Let the steam escape fully before adding vegetables, or the cucumber and cherry tomatoes will soften too quickly.
5

Dice 100 g cucumber into 0.8 cm pieces, halve 120 g cherry tomatoes, and roughly chop 15 g parsley.

Keep the cuts fairly even so each forkful has grain, crunch, juice, and herbs together.
6

Whisk 1.5 tbsp lemon juice, 1.5 tbsp olive oil, and 0.4 tsp salt until the salt starts dissolving.

Add the dressing, vegetables, and parsley to the cooled couscous, then toss lightly with a fork and serve cool or at room temperature.