I don’t know what the weather is like right now where you live, but for the past few weeks it here it has been blistering hot and I just did not want to spend any more time in the kitchen cooking than I had to. This salad was ridiculously quick and easy to pull together and did I mention that it is meat-free?

I think that couscous is one of the most versatile and easy to make foods out there. It’s light but filling and it can easily replace rice and pasta at almost any meal.

Here’s how I made it:

Print Recipe

Zucchini Couscous Salad

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Course: Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings: 6

Calories: 386kcal

Equipment

• Medium saucepan
• Medium frying pan
• Cup measure
• Knife to chop vegetables
• Large bowl to mix everything together

Ingredients

• 2 cups couscous
• 2 cups water can use unsalted/ low sodium chicken broth as well
• 5 tbsp olive oil more to taste
• 1 ½ lemons juiced, to taste
• 2 tsp honey mustard to taste
• 1 medium zucchini diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half lengthwise
• 1 cup chickpeas cooked, or one can drained
• 2 tbsp fresh sweet marjoram to taste
• flaky sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Bring the water to a rolling boil.
• Pour the couscous in the boiling water and give it a stir.
• Cover the saucepan, turn off the flame and remove from the heat.
• Let the couscous sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. When the 5 minutes is up, remove the cover and fluff gently with a fork.
• Pour about a tablespoon of oil in the frying pan and add the diced zucchini. Sauté until the pieces are tender – about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Turn the couscous into a large bowl.
• Add one cup of cooked chickpeas OR one drained and rinsed can of chickpeas, the sliced tomatoes and the cooked zucchini to the bowl.
• In a smaller bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice and honey mustard until well combined and drizzle over the ingredients in the bowl.
• Mince half of the marjoram leaves and leave the rest whole and add all to the bowl.
• Gently toss everything together until the dressing is well distributed throughout. Taste and add more lemon, oil (if the mixture seems "dry"), salt and pepper to your liking.
• Plate up and enjoy!

Don’t skimp out on the marjoram! It lends such a fresh note to this simple and easy dish. The chickpeas are full of protein and fibre, both of which gives you a satisfied and full feeling – sure to keep your tummy happy until your next meal.

I hope you’re able to give this quick meal a try, and if you do, drop me a line to let me know how it went.

Happy cooking!