A Moroccan national dish, couscous, is made from moistened semolina wheat which, admittedly, doesn’t sound very appealing. However, add a few choice vegetables and you have a colourful, crunchy and tasty salad that kids will love!
A quick an easy recipe that’s both nutritious and filling.
Ingredients (for 4 people)
This recipe is based on supermarket bought couscous which is typically steamed and dried before packaging.
- 200g couscous
- 250ml boiling water
- Vegetable stock cube
- ½ a red OR orange pepper
- ¼ a green pepper
- 2 tomatoes
- 4 spring onions
- 200g tinned sweetcorn
For the Dressing
- 10g fresh coriander OR parsley
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed (optional)
- 75ml virgin olive oil
- 2 x 15ml spoons lemon juice
- Black pepper (optional)
- Red wine vinegar (optional)
Equipment you’ll need
- Weighing scales
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring jug
- Kettle
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring spoons
- Large plate or clean tea towel
- Fork
- Colander
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
- Can opener
- Sieve
- Scissors
- Garlic crusher
- Small bowl
- Whisk
- Jar or container with tight fitting lid (optional)
- Serving bowl
How to make the Rainbow Couscous
- Put the couscous in a large mixing bowl.
- Measure 250ml of boiling water into the measuring jug. Crumble in the stock cube and stir to dissolve.
- Pour the hot stock over the couscous and cover with a plate or tea towel. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.
- Fluff the couscous with a fork. Add a little extra water if necessary. Allow to cool.
- Wash and dry the vegetables.
- De-seed the peppers and remove the core and any white pith. Chop into cubes (about 1½cm).
- Chop the tomatoes into similar size pieces to the pepper.
- Top and tail the spring onions and slice finely.
- Drain the sweetcorn and discard the liquid.
- Add the chopped peppers, tomatoes, spring onions and sweetcorn to the couscous and mix well with a fork.
- Finely chop the parsley or coriander with scissors.
- Peel and crush the garlic (if you are using it).
- Make the dressing by whisking the olive oil and lemon juice together in a small bowl (or shake together in a jar). Add the chopped coriander or parsley, crushed garlic and black pepper to taste (if using). Whisk or shake again.
- Pour the dressing over the couscous and mix well.
- For a bit more kick, add a little drizzle of red wine vinegar.
Couscous works best with strong flavours, so make sure your dressing has plenty. You could add a 5ml spoon each of honey and mustard powder.
Something to try next time
- Use cold water (or orange juice) to soak your couscous. Leave to soak for about 30 minutes.
- Try roasting the peppers (or other vegetables) to add even more flavour.
- Feta or griddled halloumi cheese help turn this salad into a more substantial dish. You could add meat or fish for non-vegetarians.
- Add nuts or seeds for more crunch and dried fruit for sweetness. (Make sure you check for allergies if using nuts though).