Lemon Couscous Salad with Parsley Almonds and Herbs
Couscous is steamed, fluffed and cooled before being tossed with lemon, parsley, mint, cucumber, almonds and apricots. It’s light but filling, with enough texture to sit happily beside saucy BBQ dishes.
Ingredients
- 250 g couscous
- 300 ml hot vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp olive oil plus 1 tbsp for finishing
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 1 small garlic clove finely grated
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ cucumber deseeded and finely diced
- 4 spring onions finely sliced
- 40 g flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 20 g fresh mint chopped
- 60 g toasted flaked almonds
- 40 g dried apricots finely chopped
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Instructions
Hydrate the couscous
- Put the couscous in a heatproof bowl with the salt, pepper and ground coriander. Pour over the hot vegetable stock and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir once, cover and leave for 8 minutes.
Fluff while warm
- Remove the cover and fluff the couscous thoroughly with a fork. Break up any clumps straight away. Spread it onto a tray or into a wide bowl and leave it to cool for 15 minutes.
Make the lemon dressing
- In a small bowl, mix the lemon zest, lemon juice, grated garlic, white wine vinegar and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste it before adding more salt, as the stock may already be seasoned.
Add the crisp and chewy bits
- Once the couscous is cool, fold in the cucumber, spring onions and chopped apricots. Keep the herbs and almonds back until the grains have cooled fully.
Fold in herbs and dressing
- Add the parsley, mint and lemon dressing. Toss lightly with a fork or your fingertips. The grains should look bright and separate, not packed down.
Finish with almonds
- Fold through most of the toasted almonds just before serving. Scatter the rest over the top for a dry, crisp finish.
Notes
Use medium couscous rather than giant couscous for this version. It gives that light, fluffy texture that works well beside grilled meat. Giant couscous is lovely, but it behaves more like pasta and needs a different dressing style.
The herbs are not garnish here. Parsley brings the green backbone and mint gives coolness against smoke. Toasted almonds stop the salad feeling soft, while dried apricots add little chewy flashes without turning it into a sweet side. If your BBQ main has fruit in the glaze, reduce the apricots slightly.
Nutrition
Calories: 330kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 9gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2.8gMonounsaturated Fat: 6.7gSodium: 540mgPotassium: 390mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1050IUCalcium: 82mgIron: 2.4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
