colourful couscous salad

This beautiful and colourful salad from various Mediterranean vegetables, giant couscous and mozzarella is perfect for a summer barbeque, a party or as a healthy lunch for work. It’s ideal to use up vegetables from the fridge that have seen better days and you can make it vegan or vegetarian, or even add some chicken for any omnivore friends.

For a large salad bowl you will need: 1 courgette, 1 aubergine, 1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, 1 leek or a bunch of spring onion, a pack of cherry tomatoes, 1 mozzarella, a pack of giant couscous (500g), salt, pepper, a lemon, some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Additionally a griddle pan or a stove top griddle. If you don’t have either, you can use the grill setting of your oven.

Start by cutting your vegetables into chunks. Make sure to create flat surfaces on the peppers and courgettes. Cut the aubergine in round slices and sprinkle salt on them, then grill all other vegetables first. The salt removes a good portion of water and makes the aubergines less bitter. Turn on your stove and wait for the griddle to heat up. By heating it up entirely, it burns off any remaining fat from the previous usage. In the mean time boil water in a sauce pan, add salt and cook your couscous roughly eight minutes. Make sure you have giant couscous. If you happen to have grabbed normal couscous (yellow and fine grains), add the cous cous to a bowl and add the water in portions, while you stir it. This way your couscous is gonna stay light and fluffy. Giant couscous (brown and round) needs to be cooked roughly eight minutes. Strain it and cool it down by letting cold tap water run over it for a minute.

Grill your vegetables on the griddle until they are soft and have typical griddle marks. When you turn them half way through, add some salt to the top. Grilling vegetables adds a slight smoky flavour and is a great pairing with the nutty couscous and the creamy mozzarella. While you grill your vegetables, you can mix a dressing from the zest and the juice of one lemon, 30 ml of balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper and olive oil. Always use 3x as much oil as you use acid for a balanced dressing. Mix your dressing by stirring it and pour it over the couscous. Once your veggies are grilled, cut them into small chunks and add them to your couscous. Take the mozzarella out of the liquid and rip it into small pieces. If you prefer a tidier look, you can cut it into small cubes. Cut the cherry tomatoes into small slices with a sharp knife and add to your salad. Mix the salad thoroughly, season it if necessary and put it onto a large platter. If you like, you can add some rocket for contrast and slight bitter, punchy flavours.

Enjoy your summer salad.

Don’t forget to let your griddle cool down entirely. Always clean it with a wet cloth, followed by a dry cloth. Adding detergents or washing up liquid to it will damage the surface and result in being sticky.