Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen.
Couscous is steamed in a covered pot, then tossed warm with a lemon-garlic dressing and chickpeas so it soaks up flavour as it cools. Parsley, scallions and feta go in once everything has cooled, keeping the herbs bright and the cheese from melting.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Cook the couscous. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat, stir in the couscous and salt, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and fluff with a fork.
- 2
Make the dressing. Meanwhile, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic and olive oil in a small bowl.
- 3
Combine and cool. Add the dressing and the chickpeas to the couscous and toss well. Let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
- 4
Finish. Toss in the parsley, scallions and feta. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
EU nutrition claims
- Source of protein: 3 g protein per 100 kcal, about 12% of energy (needs ≥ 12%)
- Low sugars: 1.8 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 175 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0 g per serving
0 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- small bowl
- whisk
- serving bowl
- fork
- chef's knife
- cutting board
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 583 kcal |
| Protein | 17.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 68.8 g |
| of which sugars | 3.2 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 26.7 g |
| of which saturates | 6.5 g |
| Fibre | 8.1 g |
| Salt | 2.34 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
