This couscous salad is an easy recipe for a light summer meal and has been one of our go-to meals for many years now. We once served it to a vegetarian friend who, although she really enjoyed it, insisted it wasn’t a salad. This led to a lively discussion of what does, and does not, constitute a salad.
To be fair, it is at the debatably-salad end of our repertoire but it still constitutes a nice, light dinner for these hot days.
Ingredients:
160g couscous
200ml vegetable stock
300g cooked chickpeas
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 courgette, sliced on the slant
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
250g pack halloumi cheese
The Dressing
100ml olive oil
2 tbsp lime juice
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
¼ tsp sugar
- Tip couscous into a bowl, pour over the freshly-made stock while still hot, cover and leave to stand for 4 mins.
- Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the dressing and mix well.
- When the couscous is ready, transfer to a large mixing bowl, fluffing with a fork as you go. Stir in the chickpeas and half the dressing. Mix well and serve onto plates or into bowls.
- Griddle the courgette slices until tinged dark golden brown on both sides. Set aside.
- Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into a large frying pan and when hot, place the cherry tomatoes, cut side down, into the pan. Fry for a couple of minutes until the undersides are tinged brown. Drain on kitchen roll.
- Plate the courgettes and tomatoes on top of the couscous.
- Thickly slice the halloumi cheese and then halve lengthways.
- If needed, add a little more oil to the hot pan, add the halloumi strips and fry for 2-3mins, turning over from time-to-time, until they’re crisp and sizzled brown.
- Plate the halloumi strips on top of the tomatoes and courgettes, drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve immediately.
