Enjoy the flavours of summer with this simple, hearty couscous salad. With fried halloumi, vine tomatoes and courgettes, it’s perfect for lunch, sitting in the sunshine. Easily doubled or halved.
Ingredients
250g couscous
250ml vegetable stock, boiling
400 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1-2 tbsp olive oil
300g courgette, sliced on the slant
300g small vine-ripened tomatoes, halved
250g pack halloumi cheese, thickly sliced and then halved lengthways
For the dressing
125ml olive oil
3 tbsp lime juice
2 large garlic cloves
2 tbs chopped mint
1/2 tsp sugar
Method
Tip the couscous into a bowl, pour over the boiling stock and mix well with a fork. Cover with a plate and leave for four minutes. Meanwhile, tip all the dressing ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Fluff up the couscous with a fork, stir in the chickpeas and follow with half the dressing mix well and pile on a large serving dish.
Heat one tbsp oil in a large frying pan and fry the courgette slices over a high heat for 2-3 minutes until dark golden brown. Lift out onto kitchen paper. Now put the tomatoes cut side down into the pan, and cook for another couple of minutes until tinged brown on the underside. Top the couscous with the courgettes and then tomatoes.
If the pan is dry, pour a little more oil and heat it up, then add the halloumi strips and fry for 2-3 minutes, turning them over from time to time, until crisp and sizzled brown. Pile on top of the tomatoes, and drizzle with the remaining dressing.
Serve as soon as possible.
Author: Ros
Author of What's On and Life In The Kitchen!