It’s recipes like this one that make me wish I had a garden. I don’t think I’ve ever told you about wanting a garden, but I do want one. I just like the idea of walking down the lawn to a little corner on my property (future “dream” property) and picking the fruits of my labor.
That is such a cliche but it is where I see myself in the future. I do know having a garden isn’t all fun, it requires work and effort, but I think that if my 70-year-old grandparents can still do it, I could too some day.
Anyway, this has been one of my favorite recipes for a long time now. I’ve come to a point where I know it by heart and don’t have to look in my notes anymore. And that makes cooking a lot easier.
Apart from couscous, everything else can be easily changed, based on what I have in the fridge, but I do admit that I like this salad the most just the way that the recipe is written down here today.
Warm Mediterranean couscous salad
A simple and filling salad. Can serve up to 4 people.
Ingredients
- 300ml (1 1/4 cups) vegetable stock or water
- 110g (2/3 cup) whole wheat couscous
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste concentrate
- 190g (1 cup) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 TBSPs olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1/2 large zucchini (about 140g | 5 oz), peeled, quartered lengthwise, sliced across thinly
- 210g (1 1/2 cups) cherry tomatoes (mixed colors), halved
- sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 200g (7 oz) feta cheese, diced
- For serving: chopped parsley
Instructions
- Bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a small pot, add a pinch of salt and tomato paste. Stir to dissolve and add couscous. Cover with a lid and remove from heat.
- Set your oven to 200°C (450°F). Line a small baking pan with parchment paper and put in the chickpeas. Sprinkle with sea salt and coat with about 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. When your oven is ready bake them for 10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy, then set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the rest of the oil in a non stick skillet. Add shallot and cook for a few minutes, until soft. Toss in zucchini, cook for a few minutes and add the tomatoes. Add a pinch of salt and cook until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat.
- Stir in couscous and oregano, then the chickpeas and feta.
- Sprinkle with parsley, add more cherry tomatoes if desired.
Notes
I like to eat this salad with a side of something sour, usually some mâche salad (corn salad). I know it seems silly to eat a salad with a salad, but that’s my favorite thing to do with this dish, so I just do it. You can eat this cold, I have before and it’s just as good. Just store it in an airtight container. This recipe is adapted from Smitten Kitchen.
