Chickpea Couscous Salad with Lemon and Herbs
- Savory
- Light
- No cook
A light no-cook salad of fluffy couscous, chickpeas and crisp cucumber, lifted with lemon zest, lemon juice and plenty of fresh mint and parsley.
- Total
- 30 min
- Prep 20 · Rest 10
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Dicing · Emulsifying
Instructions
-
Put the couscous in a large heatproof bowl with 0.5 tsp of the salt and pour over 250 ml hot tap water. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave it to stand for 5 minutes.
~5 min
Hot water and a tight cover trap steam so the couscous absorbs liquid evenly and turns fluffy rather than gritty.
-
While step 1 waits
While the couscous stands, drain the chickpeas in a colander and tip them into a salad bowl. Halve the cherry tomatoes and cut the cucumber into 1 cm dice, then add both to the bowl.
~5 min
Dicing Cut the cucumber into even 1 cm cubes so they mix uniformly; a sharp knife and a steady guiding hand prevent crushing the flesh.
-
Zest the lemon into a small bowl, then squeeze in 3 tbsp lemon juice. Add the olive oil, the remaining 0.25 tsp salt and the black pepper and whisk with a fork until it looks slightly thickened.
~4 min
Whisking disperses the lemon juice into the oil so the dressing emulsifies and coats the grains evenly instead of pooling.
Add the lemon zest and juice only after the couscous has cooled slightly; hot grains dull the fresh citrus aroma.
Emulsifying Whisk the lemon juice into the oil steadily until slightly thickened; if it looks greasy, keep whisking to bring it back together.
-
Fluff the couscous with a fork, breaking up any lumps, and tip it into the salad bowl. Pour over the lemon dressing and toss everything until the grains are evenly coated.
~3 min
Fluffing with a fork separates the grains, and tossing while the couscous is still warm helps it absorb the dressing.
Fluff the couscous with a fork rather than a spoon so the grains stay separate instead of clumping.
-
Pick the mint and parsley leaves and chop them finely. Scatter over the salad and toss once more, then leave it to stand for 10 minutes so the lemon and herbs soak in. Taste and add a little more salt if needed.
~10 min
A brief rest lets the lemon juice soften the herbs and meld the flavours, while tasting at the end lets you correct the seasoning.
