In recent years, since I opened my first blog until today, I have experimented with a thousand recipes based on couscous, especially in summer, when the desire for a fresh and light dish often takes over! Usually, I let myself be guided by imagination or mainly by what I find in the fridge, but this time I took inspiration from a vegan recipe found on the web, which I transformed into a more congenial vegetarian version. The basic preparation with couscous is always the same, very simple and requires a few minutes of steaming, so it takes zero time at the stove! For the dressing, I respected the choice of seasonal vegetables and legumes, all strictly green, as the high-sounding title of the recipe recalls, so zucchini, peas, and a fantastic arugula pesto. I then embellished the dish with a touch of Sicilian flair, adding a handful of Bronte pistachios, among my favorite nuts, and which I want to point out, are also green! Naturally, they are optional, even without, it still remains an excellent vegetarian-style first course to prepare even at the last minute in case of unexpected guests! A complete dish from a nutritional point of view, perfect at any time of your summer days, to take to the beach, on a picnic, to prepare for an informal outdoor lunch, and, if desired, as finger food in a buffet served in special cups! In short, fully approved dish and, undoubtedly, nutritionist-proof!
Source: [Mrs.veggie.it] with my personal modifications
If you love couscous as much as I do and want to experiment with new recipes, here are some other sweet and savory proposals to draw inspiration from:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Steam
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients:
- 12.35 oz couscous
- 3 dark zucchini (medium)
- 8.82 oz frozen peas
- 1.76 oz arugula
- 1 fresh spring onion
- 1.76 oz Bronte DOP pistachios
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 2.82 oz arugula
- 4.73 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
- 1.76 oz grated parmesan cheese
- 1 clove garlic
- 1.76 oz shelled hazelnuts (or pine nuts, almonds, etc.)
- 1.06 oz Bronte DOP pistachios
- 1 pinch salt
Tools:
- 1 Mixer
- 2 Pots
- 1 Lid
- 1 Fork
- 1 Pan
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Colander
- 1 Salad Bowl
Steps:
Start by heating a pot with an amount of water equal to the couscous, slightly salted, without bringing it to a boil. Turn off the heat, sprinkle the semolina, close with a lid, and let it rest for 5′ (fig. 1).
After this time, remove the lid, the couscous will have absorbed all the water, then fluff it with a fork and let it cool (fig. 2). Meanwhile, trim the fresh spring onion and the zucchini, cutting the former into slices, and the latter into chunks (fig. 3).
In a large pan, brown the spring onion for a couple of minutes with two tablespoons of oil and 1.69 fl oz of water (fig. 4). Then add the zucchini, let them flavor for another minute, lower the heat to a minimum, and close with a lid (fig. 5).
Let cook for 10′-12′ or until they are tender but not mushy, adding a little more water if necessary, then turn off the heat and adjust the salt and pepper (fig. 6). Meanwhile, prepare the pesto: in a mixer bowl, add the arugula, garlic clove, hazelnuts, and pistachios (fig. 7).
Add a pinch of salt, grated parmesan cheese, and drizzle with oil (fig. 8). Blend in batches until you get a homogeneous and fairly fluid mixture. If not, add a little more oil until you achieve the right consistency (fig. 9).
In another pot, blanch the peas in salted water for 5′, then drain them very well with the help of a colander (fig. 10). You are ready to assemble the dish: in a large salad bowl, transfer the now cold couscous, zucchini, peas, and dress everything with arugula pesto (fig. 11).
Serve at room temperature or after an hour in the fridge with a generous handful of pistachios and some arugula leaves on top.
And voila… your green couscous is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 You can store the couscous in the fridge in special containers with hermetic closure for up to 2-3 days. I do not recommend freezing it.
Tips and Suggestions
🟣 For a totally vegan version, you can replace the grated parmesan cheese in the pesto preparation with nutritional yeast flakes, which is nothing more than deactivated beer yeast, meaning it has been stripped of its fermenting and leavening capabilities, thus unsuitable for making breads or sweets. Its flavor is very intense and often considered similar to cheese, which is why it is effectively used as a seasoning and condiment in vegan cuisine.
