Summer couscous

Name: Summer couscous
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Couscous 1.7 cups; Water 1.3 cups; Saffron 1 bag; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Datterino tomatoes 1.3 cups; Feta cheese 7 oz; Tuna in oil drained weight 3.5 oz; Taggiasca olives 3.5 oz; Precooked chickpeas (drained weight) ½ cup; Lemon juice 1.7 tbsp; Lemon peel to taste; Basil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Red onions 3.5 oz; Water 0.8 cup; Red wine 3.5 oz; Sugar 2 tbsp

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Average

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PRESENTATION

Summer couscous salad — cherry tomatoes, feta, tuna, chickpeas, and olives — comes together in one bowl: bright, filling, and genuinely portable. The ingredient that holds it all together is a quick homemade sweet-and-sour red onion that cuts through the richness of the other components and keeps every bite interesting. Lemon and fresh basil add the Mediterranean aromatics without adding work, and the whole thing is easy to adapt once you know the base — swap in whatever you have, and the salad absorbs it. Make it ahead.

A few hours in the refrigerator doesn't just chill it — the dressing and aromatics settle into the grain and the whole thing improves noticeably. It travels easily to the beach or the office, or you can serve it cold at home on a hot evening without any last-minute effort. Light and colorful, it is nutritious enough to work as a full meal rather than a side, and the ingredient list stays forgiving by design. Prepare it the morning before you need it and let the refrigerator do the rest.

INGREDIENTS

For the couscous: Couscous 1.7 cups (300 g); Water 1.3 cups (320 g); Saffron 1 bag; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste

For the dressing: Datterino tomatoes 1.3 cups (200 g); Feta cheese 7 oz (200 g); Tuna in oil 3.5 oz (100 g) - drained weight; Taggiasca olives 3.5 oz (100 g); Precooked chickpeas ½ cup (80 g) - (drained weight); Lemon juice 1.7 tbsp (25 g); Lemon peel to taste; Basil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

For the sweet-and-sour onions: Red onions 3.5 oz (100 g); Water 0.8 cup (200 g); Red wine 3.5 oz (100 g); Sugar 2 tbsp (25 g)

Preparation

How to prepare Summer couscous

To prepare the summer couscous, start with the sweet-and-sour onion: trim the red onion and cut it into wedges 1. In a small saucepan pour the water 2, the red wine 3 and the sugar, then bring to a boil.

Immerse the onion in the boiling liquid 4, then turn off the heat and let it cool completely 5. Once cooled, drain the onion using a sieve and set aside 6.

Move on to the couscous: bring a pot of water to a boil with the saffron 7 and the salt 8. Turn off the heat and pour the couscous into the boiling water 9.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for about ten minutes 10. Meanwhile, halve the cherry tomatoes 11. When the couscous has absorbed all the liquid, season with a drizzle of oil 12.

Fluff the couscous with a fork 13, then add the olives 14 and the pre-cooked chickpeas 15.

Also add the cherry tomatoes 16, the onions 17 and the crumbled feta 18.

Season with oil 19 and pepper 20, then flavor with the grated lemon zest 21.

Also pour in the lemon juice 22 and mix gently 23. Let it rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes 34, covered with plastic wrap, so the flavors can meld.