Couscous-Gemüse-Salat (couscous and vegetable salad)
A couscous salad where the grain is steamed over hot broth in a covered bowl rather than simply doused with boiling water, giving fuller, fluffier grains than the usual splash-and-wait method. Fluffing the couscous with a fork rather than a spoon once it has absorbed the liquid is what keeps the grains separate instead of clumping into a paste.
Prep20 min
Cook10 min
Rest15 min
Servings4
Christoph's couscous salad, the couscous steamed over hot broth in a covered bowl for fuller, fluffier grains than the usual splash-and-wait method.
Ingredients
Written for a 3 L pot
Units
Temperature
Servings
Couscous
- 250 g couscous rounded
- 300 ml vegetable broth rounded
- 30 ml olive oil rounded
Salad
- 150 g cucumber, diced rounded
- 150 g cherry tomatoes, halved rounded
- 100 g red bell pepper, diced rounded
- 60 g spring onion, sliced rounded
- 20 g fresh mint (optional) rounded
- 20 g fresh parsley rounded
- 30 ml lemon juice rounded
- 30 ml olive oil rounded
- to taste fine salt rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- Bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Combine the couscous and olive oil in a heatproof bowl, pour the boiling broth over, and cover immediately with a plate or lid.
- Let sit, covered, for 10 minutes, until the couscous has absorbed all the liquid.
- Fluff the couscous thoroughly with a fork, breaking up any clumps, until every grain is separate. Let cool to room temperature.
- Combine the cooled couscous with the cucumber, tomatoes, pepper, spring onion, mint and parsley in a large bowl.
- Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil and salt together, and toss through the salad.
Notes
- Cover the bowl immediately after pouring the hot broth over. This traps the steam and cooks the couscous gently and evenly, giving fuller grains than simply leaving it uncovered.
- Fluff with a fork, never a spoon. A spoon compresses and mashes the grains together; a fork separates them, which is the whole texture this salad is built on.
- Let the couscous cool before dressing and combining with the vegetables. Warm couscous wilts the fresh herbs and can make the vegetables release more liquid than intended.
- It keeps for 2 days in the fridge and is a good make-ahead salad, since the flavours settle and improve after a few hours.
Ingredient substitutions
- Cucumber, tomatoes and pepper can be any crisp, fresh vegetables you have.
- Mint is optional but traditional in this style of salad; parsley alone works well without it.
- A handful of chickpeas or crumbled feta turns this into a heartier main course.
From Christoph Mayer