Back to work season is… back. I guess it’s the same for everyone but I find the return to reality very difficult… At home, we call it K.I.T.S. (pronounce “kits”), standing for “knots in the stomach.” You can experience it on Sunday night too, when you are dreading the Monday to come, but this time is worse. Fortunately, the sun is still out to help me fight my K.I.T.S syndrome and I have a fail-proof remedy under my sleeve: I just keep preparing delicious summer salads so that the return to the office has the same taste as the return to the beach.
So last night, my husband and I had my classic homemade tabbouleh but for a change, I prepared with giant couscous (I discovered on the occasion that it was also called Israeli couscous or pearl couscous). The taste is pretty close to the traditional couscous but I think the texture of the small couscous pearls gives this tabbouleh an extra je-ne-sais-quoi that we both enjoyed. And you, what’s your remedy against K.I.T.S?
Rest time in the fridge: 1h
- 250g giant couscous (you can also find it by the name of Israeli couscous or pearl couscous)
- 3 tomatoes
- ½ cucumber
- ½ white onion
- the juice of 2 lemons
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoon mustard
- a bunch of mint, chopped
- a small handful black olives, sliced
- salt and pepper
- Cook the giant couscous according to the instructions on the packet. On mine, they recommended cooking it in plenty of boiling water with a bouillon cube. I removed 1 minute of cooking time for my giant couscous to be just cooked. Drain the couscous, drizzle with olive oil to prevent the grains from sticking and allow to cool.
- In a bowl, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, mustard and chopped mint.
- Wash and core the tomatoes and cucumber. Cut into small cubes. Peel the onion and chop it.
- Once the giant couscous is warm, add the vegetables, black olives and sauce. Add salt and pepper. Cool and refrigerate for at least 1 hour for the flavours to develop.
- Serve the giant couscous tabbouleh with ham or chicken. It also makes a perfect side dish for summer barbecues.
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