SALADS

Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Fresh Herbs

Instead of a pasta salad we wanted to have something a bit more exotic. This salad is more work, but it is well worth the effort. The flavours of cumin and lemon, combined with the fresh herbs and the toasted couscous, are satisfying and delicious. It is a versatile dish that can accompany a chicken fillet, or it can be a great dish on its own.

You can also add pomegranate seeds or feta cheese if you wish.

Ingredients

1 small white onion, chopped into 1 cm (½ inch) pieces

200 ml (7 fl oz) red wine vinegar

4 tablespoons olive oil

200 g (7 oz) couscous

1 vegetable stock cube

400 ml (14 fl oz) boiling water

1 red pepper (capsicum), chopped into 1 cm (½ inch) pieces

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 medium cucumber, peeled, but leave some strips of skin (it’s easiest to do this with a potato peeler)

a few sprigs fresh chives

a few sprigs parsley

a few sprigs fresh coriander (cilantro)

10 fresh mint leaves

10 black olives, pitted (Kalamatas are good)

1 lemon, zest only

50 g (1 ¾ oz) sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained, and cut into strips

salt and coarsely ground black pepper

Method

Combine the onion and vinegar in a small glass bowl and set aside to marinate. Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the couscous and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water, pour over the couscous and remove the pan from the heat. Cover with a tea or dish towel, and as tightly as possible with a lid, to seal in the steam. Set aside to let the couscous absorb the liquid.

In another frying pan heat the remaining olive oil and sauté the pepper and cumin until the pepper is lightly cooked but not limp, about 5 minutes. Slice the cucumber lengthways in half, scoop out and discard the seeds, then slice lengthways in half again. Chop into 1 cm (½ inch) pieces. Roughly chop together the chives, parsley, fresh coriander and mint leaves. Crush the olives into bite-sized pieces with your fingers.

Transfer the couscous to a large bowl and separate the grains with a fork. Make sure there are no clumps. Now add all the ingredients, including the lemon zest and sun-dried tomatoes, season to taste, and mix well.