If you like cold dishes, you probably also enjoy pasta, rice, and couscous salads. Today we’re focusing on the latter, rich in vegetables, fresh aromas, and flavors perfect for hot days. Couscous with zucchini and bell peppers is indeed a cold dish where vegetables take center stage. Besides zucchini and bell peppers, there are other vegetables that make this dish even more flavorful and colorful.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 9 oz cooked couscous
- 2 zucchini
- 2 bell peppers
- 10 green olives
- 1 lemon
- to taste fresh basil
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 2 salad tomatoes
- 1 1/8 cups water
- 1 stem fresh spring onion
Steps
Heat the 1 1/8 cups of water in a saucepan with a pinch of fine salt. As soon as the water comes to a boil, pour in the couscous, cover, and turn off the heat.
Let it rest for 5 minutes, unless otherwise directed on the package.
After five minutes, fluff the couscous thoroughly with a fork; then add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and mix.
Let’s take care of the vegetables. Wash the lemon, grate its zest very finely, and squeeze its juice.
Wash the tomatoes and cut them into very small pieces.
Wash the bell peppers and zucchini, discard all waste and inedible parts, and cut them into pieces.
Place them in a pan with salted water. Bring to a boil, add the vegetables, cover and cook for 3 minutes over high heat to maintain their color and crunchiness. Drain immediately and transfer to a large bowl. If you prefer softer vegetables, cook them for 5 minutes.
Finely chop the stem of a fresh spring onion.
Combine the vegetables and all other ingredients with the couscous, add the already washed and finely chopped basil leaves, season with extra virgin olive oil, fine salt, grated zest, and lemon juice.
Mix, cover, and place the bowl in the fridge to let the flavors meld.
