Couscous Bowl with Seared Halloumi and Peppers
Fluffy couscous topped with golden pan-seared halloumi and sweet blistered peppers, finished with a bright lemon dressing. A fast, high-protein bowl that comes together on the stovetop.
- Total
- 20 min
- Prep 6 · Cook 12 · Rest 2
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Searing · Zesting
- Savory
- Quick
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Boil the 90 ml water in a kettle or small pot. Put the 60 g couscous in a small bowl with 1/4 tsp salt, pour over the boiling water, stir once, cover and leave to steam.
~3 min
Couscous is pre-steamed; boiling water and a covered rest rehydrate the grains so they plump and turn fluffy.
Couscous needs no cooking, only fully boiling water and a covered rest, so keep the bowl covered until you fluff it or the grains stay hard.
-
While step 1 waits
While the couscous steams, cut the 80 g halloumi into 1 cm slices and the pepper into 1 cm strips, discarding the seeds. Zest the lemon into a small bowl, then squeeze in 1 tbsp lemon juice and whisk with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/8 tsp black pepper.
~4 min
Zesting before juicing lets you remove only the yellow peel, avoiding the bitter white pith.
Zesting Zest only the colored peel, rotating the lemon as you go. Stop before you reach the white pith, which tastes bitter.
-
Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat with the remaining 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Add the pepper strips and cook until softened and lightly blistered at the edges, about 4 minutes, then push them to one side of the pan.
~4 min
Blistering peppers over medium-high heat caramelizes their sugars, deepening sweetness and softening their texture.
-
Lay the halloumi slices in the clear side of the pan and sear until deep golden underneath, 2 minutes, then flip and sear the second side until golden, 2 more minutes.
~2 min
Searing halloumi in a dry-hot pan creates a golden crust through Maillard browning while keeping the interior soft.
Searing Pat halloumi dry and use a hot pan; leave it undisturbed until a deep golden crust forms, then flip once. Moving it too early prevents browning.
-
Fluff the couscous with a fork, breaking up any clumps, then fold in the lemon dressing.
~1 min
Forking separates the steamed grains, and folding in dressing while warm lets the couscous absorb flavor evenly.
-
Spoon the couscous into a bowl, top with the blistered peppers and seared halloumi, and let it sit 2 minutes so the halloumi firms slightly before eating.
~2 min