Easy couscous salad: no cooking skills required!

What about if I told you that you can make a delicious meal to fill your family and friends up, not even turning the stove on? I don't know about you, but that seems like winning to me!

Moroccan couscous has been a must-have in my pantry ever since I visited the country over a decade ago. It's one of those super versatile ingredients like rice and pasta, that I like to surprise my family with. You can use it as a main, as a side, or even for a salad, like I'm going to suggest here today.

A reader recently asked me: "How hard is it to cook couscous?" Well, I believe it is one of the easiest ingredients you can use in your kitchen. On top of that, it is really cheap and very, very fast for a quick fix during the week! The only trick is to have the perfect amount of boiling liquid per amount of couscous. As always I recommend, look at your packaging, they will give you the information right there.

Couscous is a staple throughout the North African cuisines of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania and Libya. It's an amazing source of fibre, which is good for you in a lot of ways. It can stop your blood sugar from spiking and can keep you fuller longer. It also can help lower cholesterol, which can reduce your chances of heart disease.

Ok, so what do you need at home? You just need a kettle, a bowl with a kitchen spoon to mix ingredients, and a chopping board with a knife. Trust me this is the perfect recipe to do with your kids, they will love the fact that the couscous grows in the container when it absorbs the liquid.

Steps and suggestions to follow:

1. Wash, peel, and chop all the vegetables the same size you are going to use. This week there is no recipe really, use your creativity depending on what you like or what's in season. 

2. Turn the kettle on with water.

3. Open a tin of tuna in extra virgin olive oil. Drain it from the oil with a colander (I like to use tuna in order to add more omega-3 to our family diet).

4. Cook the couscous and let it rest. When ready, season well and mix all the ingredients together. You can add herbs on top, heaps of acidity, or chilli if that is your thing.

5. Serve it for lunch or dinner. Or even do a batch cook for your work lunches. Trust me, you'll be in heaven once you finish one of these salads!

Tips on how to cook couscous?

1. Tip the couscous into a Chinese takeaway container and pour over a splash of extra virgin olive oil (stir well with a spoon). Then add the boiling water just enough to cover it (you'll see the ratio in the package anyway).

2. Cover with a lid and leave for 5-10 mins until the couscous is soft.

3. Fluff the couscous up with a fork and season well with salt and pepper if you like. The couscous is now ready to serve.

Enjoy!