In summer, we prefer lighter meals. We live in the »attic« of our house and that apartment can get very hot. Those lighter meals are usually quick and easy to prepare and don’t weigh heavily on the stomach when trying to fall asleep when it’s still hot at night. In an apartment without air conditioning, this is very important! ;P Salads are pretty much the standard for us in summer. One of our favorite salads is our Couscous Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumber & Za’atar. Light, refreshing, healthy, and really delicious! The perfect easy dinner in summer!
Over the years, we have collected quite a few salad recipes here. A colorful mix from classic German potato salad (the one grandma always made) to Asian noodle salad – there is something for everyone. We like to draw inspiration from different cuisines and try as many recipes as possible – that’s why there are so many. Trying new recipes often works, sometimes it remains a one-time experience. ;P
Anyway. We have prepared many versions of salads with couscous. It’s a great ingredient for a light and healthy salad. Couscous absorbs the flavor of a dressing and the spices you add really well, and is also extremely easy to prepare. For this salad here we used chickpea couscous instead of regular couscous (made with semolina). The one made from chickpeas is richer in protein and fiber – probably the better choice for a healthier diet.
The salad may not look very exciting at first glance, but appearance isn’t everything, right?! It’s all about the inner beauty! ;P In this case, it’s all about the flavors and the healthy ingredients. We recently discovered Aa’atar as an option for salad dressing. Normally you would use it to prepare marinade or maybe a dip for bread… but it also works really well as seasoning in a salad dressing. So good!
If you’ve never tried this spice blend before, you might want to pick up a small bag from your trusted spice dealer. There is a small booth with all kinds of spices at our weekly farmer’s market where we get our Za’atar mix, but you can find it also in many supermarkets, I guess.
Anyway. If you know and like Za’atar, you might also want to check out our Roasted Chickpea, Tomato & Feta Salad with Za’atar. Also very nice and refreshing thanks to the spice mixture.
Our Summer Salad with Roasted Quinoa & Chickpeas does not require special spice blends, but that does not make it any less delicious. In case you like quinoa in your salad, you should definitely try roasting it beforehand… that makes the quinoa »experience« so much better! Let’s be honest – prepared the traditional way often leads to a dry and bland salad…
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(3-4 servings)
For the salad:
7.8 fl. oz. (230ml) water
1/4 tsp. salt
5.3 oz. (150g) chickpea couscous*
2 tbsp. raisins
10.6 oz. (300g) cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1 handful of baby spinach leaves
For the dressing:
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. Za’atar*
salt, pepper
some crumbled shepherd’s cheese or feta
some chopped walnuts
(3-4 Portionen)
Für den Salat:
230ml Wasser
1/4 TL Salz
150g Kichererbsen Couscous*
2 EL Rosinen
300g Cherrytomaten, halbiert
1/2 Gurke, in Stücken
1 Handvoll (Baby) Blattspinat
Für das Dressing:
4 EL Olivenöl
2 EL Zitronensaft
1 EL Za’atar*
Salz, Pfeffer
etwas Hirtenkäse oder Feta, zerbröckelt
einige gehackte Wahlnüsse
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Add the water and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the couscous and raisins to a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water on top. Stir well and set aside for about 10 minutes, so the couscous can soak up the water.
2. Wash and halve the cherry tomatoes. Cut the cucumber into small pieces. Wash and drain the baby spinach leaves. Add everything to a large salad bowl.
3. For the dressing, mix the olive oil with lemon juice, and Za’atar in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Fluff the couscous with a fork and add it to the salad bowl, pour the dressing over the salad and mix everything. Sprinkle the salad with some crumbled cheese and chopped walnuts and serve.
1. Das Wasser mit dem Salz aufkochen. Den Couscous und die Rosinen in eine hitzebeständige Schüssel geben und dann das kochende Wasser darüber gießen. Einmal gut durchrühren und dann für etwa 10 Minuten zur Seite stellen, damit der Couscous aufquellen kann.
2. Die Cherrytomaten waschen und halbieren. Die Gurke in Stücke schneiden. Den Blattspinat waschen und abtropfen lassen. Alles in eine große Salatschüssel geben.
3. Für das Dressing das Olivenöl mit Zitronensaft und Za’atar in einer kleinen Schüssel verrühren. Mit Salz und Pfeffer abschmecken.
4. Den gequollenen Couscous mit einer Gabel auflockern und dann zur Salatschüssel dazugeben, das Dressing darüber geben und alles gut vermengen. Den Salat mit etwas zerbröckeltem Hirtenkäse (Feta) und gehackten Walnüssen bestreuen und servieren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Couscous Salad with Tomato, Cucumber & Za’atar
- Prep Time: 009:15
- Cook Time: 00:00
- Total Time: 00:15
- Yield: 4
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
There is so much you can do with couscous – for example this (Summer) Couscous Salad with Tomato, Cucumber & Za’atar. Easy to prepare, healthy and delicious!
Ingredients
For the salad:
7.8 fl. oz. (230ml) water
1/4 tsp. salt
5.3 oz. (150g) chickpea couscous*
2 tbsp. raisins
10.6 oz. (300g) cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1 handful of baby spinach leaves
For the dressing:
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. Za’atar*
salt, pepper
some crumbled shepherd’s cheese or feta
some chopped walnuts
Instructions
1. Add the water and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the couscous and raisins to a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water on top. Stir well and set aside for about 10 minutes, so the couscous can soak up the water.
2. Wash and halve the cherry tomatoes. Cut the cucumber into small pieces. Wash and drain the baby spinach leaves. Add everything to a large salad bowl.
3. For the dressing, mix the olive oil with lemon juice, and Za’atar in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Fluff the couscous with a fork and add it to the salad bowl, pour the dressing over the salad and mix everything. Sprinkle the salad with some crumbled cheese and chopped walnuts and serve.
Notes
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
