Cold couscous, an ideal single dish for the hot season, very tasty and satisfying, prepared in a few minutes and keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
Convenient to take with you to work or on trips to the beach, rich in all the elements needed to maintain a complete, balanced, and fresh diet.
To heat the water needed to rehydrate the couscous grains, we can use the microwave to avoid even turning on the stove. For the seasoning, we will use tasty but fresh products like cheese, tomatoes, and preserved vegetables. Even the eye is satisfied because the vibrant colors of tomatoes, artichokes, and basil make it a dish full of taste and color. You can, of course, enrich it with ingredients you like best; my proposal is deliberately simple for a rich but simple and easily digestible taste.
For those looking for other fresh ideas suitable for the hot season but very useful all year round for genuine and complete lunch breaks, we also remember other recipes like
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 3
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 346.90 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 18.81 (g) of which sugars 1.86 (g)
- Proteins 9.96 (g)
- Fat 26.96 (g) of which saturated 7.22 (g)of which unsaturated 4.79 (g)
- Fibers 3.12 (g)
- Sodium 697.97 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 235 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked couscous
- 3/4 cup water
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup Pachino tomatoes
- 1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (drained)
- 1/3 cup oil-packed artichokes (drained)
- 1/3 cup soft table cheese (like Asiago)
- A few leaves basil
Tools
For the preparation of this dish, no major tools are needed, just a few tips.
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Measuring Jug
Preparation
The first step in preparing this cold couscous is to put the precooked couscous in the glass bowl and cover it with hot water.
To heat the water, just put it in the measuring jug and warm it in the microwave; it doesn’t need to boil, just be hot.
Let the couscous rest for the time indicated on the package: usually, it takes about 5 minutes, and you will see it double in volume. When ready, fluff it with your hands or a fork.
While the couscous rests, you will have time to prepare the rest of the ingredients. Wash the Pachino tomatoes well and cut them into quarters. Dice the cheese and chop the sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes with the help of the knife on the cutting board.
Once all the ingredients are chopped, add them to the couscous bowl, season to taste with salt, add pepper, oil and finally the washed basil, broken by hand.
Mix everything well, and your cold couscous is ready to enjoy.
NOTES
You can enjoy the couscous as soon as you prepare it, or store it covered in the refrigerator for 2, maximum three, days. Convenient to take on your lunch breaks, it’s a very cheerful and colorful idea for your aperitifs and appetizers, perhaps served in transparent single-portion cups.
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