Cooling couscous salad is a perfect summer dish, light and easy to digest, not to mention tasty and nutritious. This full flavoured couscous salad combines the fresh taste of crisp garden vegetables, nutty chickpeas and sweet sultanas with a minted tahini dressing to give an exotic Middle Eastern experience.
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Ingredients
The couscous:
- 1½ cups water
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ cups couscous
The dressing:
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 4 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon yellow asafetida powder
- 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
The remaining ingredients:
- 1/3 cup diced tomato (½ cm)
- ¼ cup diced red capsicum (1/2 cm)
- ¼ cup diced green capsicum (1/2 cm)
- ¼ cup green beans cut into 1 cm lengths
- ½ cup cooked chickpeas
- ½ cup unpeeled, diced Lebanese-style cucumbers
- ½ cup sultanas
- ¼ cup chopped green olives
- ¼ cup small roasted peanut halves
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Method
Bring the water, salt and olive oil to the boil. Remove from heat and stir in the couscous. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.
Fluff with a fork and transfer the cooked couscous to a serving bowl and allow it to cool thoroughly.
Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
Mix the rest of the ingredients into the cooled couscous.
Add the dressing, mix well and serve.