This versatile salad goes particularly well with lamb dishes, but makes a vegetarian dish in its own right. We have given you our basic recipe, but see Cook’s notes for variations. serves 4

Ingredients

250g couscous
half a cucumber, finely diced
2 medium tomatoes, finely diced
4 spring onions, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp olive oil
juice of a lemon
1 tbsp parsley and 3 tbsp mint, finely chopped

Recipe

Measure the couscous in a jug before placing in a serving bowl. Fill the jug with a slightly larger volume of boiling water, then pour over the couscous and stir.
After about 5 minutes the couscous will have absorbed all the water, so add the other ingredients and season well.
Chill until ready to serve.

Cook’s notes

You can add dried fruit to the recipe: chop apricots into small pieces and add this and/or raisins to the dried couscous. Pouring the boiling water over them will help to make them extra juicy.
Pomegranate seeds also add a sweetness, with added texture and colour.