Mediterranean couscous salad! A tasty and fresh first course, very easy to make and ready in minutes.
I was inspired by the south, the ingredients of the Mediterranean diet, fresh, fragrant, and nutritious to create this combination of colors and flavors.
Given the great heat today, I prepared a quick fresh couscous salad, a complete and healthy light dish.
It’s prepared quickly, requires minimal stove use (just a few minutes, enough time to boil water or vegetable broth and cook the vegetables) and keeps excellently in the refrigerator for a couple of days, even improving in taste!
It’s perfect for both lunch and dinner and especially you don’t need to turn on the stove, well you do but just for 15 minutes.
Great to take to the beach, on a picnic or perfect and practical for a lunch break at work.
Easy, quick, practical, and tasty. With fresh and colorful vegetables but so rich in flavor and freshness.
A portion of couscous provides the body with about half the daily requirement of selenium, contains 3.6 grams of protein per 100 grams, a low amount of fat and it contains no cholesterol.
It is therefore a valuable ally in diets where consumption of pasta or rice is not allowed and it has great satiating power.
Couscous has many positive properties, just pay attention to the condiments with which it is paired.
Couscous with mozzarella balls, peppers, zucchini, and peas is really easy and delicious to prepare and then, as I said, it is also very tasty: I added fresh cherry tomatoes and basil leaves that give the dish a truly unmistakable flavor!
But if you want a richer dish, you could also add some other ingredients, such as tuna or chunks of feta or another goat cheese.
Well, now let’s move on to the recipe and see together how to prepare this delicious couscous salad.
In our pantry, we cannot lack Mozzarella, basil, tomatoes, and any vegetables you find in the fridge, so let’s go to the stove.
Because it’s a dish to prepare and eat and …… Good and beautiful and light.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Day 6 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
- Energy 357.49 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 28.45 (g) of which sugars 6.24 (g)
- Proteins 17.25 (g)
- Fat 20.40 (g) of which saturated 7.88 (g)of which unsaturated 5.19 (g)
- Fibers 4.57 (g)
- Sodium 1,213.24 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 190 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 for Mediterranean Couscous Salad
- 8.5 oz cooked couscous (pre-cooked)
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 zucchini
- 3.5 oz frozen peas
- to taste Gaeta olives
- 1 package cherry mozzarella balls
- 4.4 oz yellow cherry tomatoes
- 4.4 oz cherry tomatoes
- leaves basil
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon
- salt
Tools
- Pan
- Small Pot
- Bowl
Steps for Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Pour the couscous into a bowl and cover it with boiling water (the water level should be about 3/4 inch above the grains). (Tip: when you heat the water, add a little salt).
Stir with a spoon. Add the oil.
Let it rest for 10 minutes (and cover with a plate), or until the liquid is fully absorbed.
Fluff with a fork to separate the grains.
If necessary, add another tablespoon of oil.
Refrigerate if you want to serve it cold; otherwise, leave at room temperature
Take the zucchini, wash and dry it, remove both ends and cut it into cubes or slices, depending on the final result you want to achieve.
And now the bell peppers… red, green, and yellow. “But you can use the color you prefer.”
Remove the stem, seeds, and inner filaments from the bell peppers and rinse them under plenty of cold running water.
Cut the peppers into small cubes and set aside.
Heat 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large pan.
Add the zucchini and peppers first, then the frozen peas shortly after.
Sauté over high heat to brown well, it will take 5 minutes.
Lower the heat, add 2 tablespoons of water and cook for another 5 minutes.
Cook over high heat for a few more minutes.
Adjust with salt and pepper and finish cooking, but the vegetables should remain vibrant in color and crunchy.
Turn off the heat.
Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and let them cool
Once completely cold, add the yellow and red cherry tomatoes cut into pieces and a few basil leaves and mix to combine the flavors.
Now pour the couscous into a salad bowl and season with 3 tablespoons of oil and one of lemon.
Add the mozzarella cut into cubes, pitted olives, and vegetables; mix everything well, adjusting with salt if necessary.
Let the couscous rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours.Serve the Mediterranean couscous, decorating with a few basil leaves.
Enjoy your meal!
Notes and Tips
Couscous is the perfect base for many dishes, both summer and winter, 100 grams contain about 110/130 calories, about half of common pasta or rice.
To make the perfect couscous you should always maintain a 1:1 ratio between water and couscous, if you don’t have a scale to check the weight, you can always use a glass or a cup.
For a richer version, you can add tuna, shrimp, or roasted chicken, let your imagination run wild.
Couscous keeps for up to a day sealed tightly and stored in the refrigerator. Before being served again, it should be left out of the refrigerator for at least an hour to return to the right temperature for consumption.
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FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use whole wheat couscous?
Yes
What can I use instead of mozzarella?
For a richer version, you can add tuna, shrimp, or roasted chicken, let your imagination run wild.
