Rainbow Couscous

Bright peppers add a rainbow of colours and a cool crunch to this tasty salad. 

Couscous is made from moistened semolina wheat. In supermarkets it is sold ready to cook, which means it has been steamed and dried before packaging.

Ingredients

200g couscous
250ml boiling water
1 red OR orange pepper
1 small green pepper
2 tomatoes
3–4 spring onions
200g can sweetcorn
Dressing:
10g (about a handful) fresh coriander OR parsley
1 clove garlic (optional)
1 small lemon (juice only)
2 x 15ml spoons olive oil
Black pepper (optional)
1 x 5ml spoon whole grain OR Dijon mustard (optional)

Equipment

Weighing scales
Mixing bowl
Measuring jug
Kettle
Wooden spoon
Measuring spoons
Large plate or clean tea towel
Fork
Colander
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Can opener
Sieve
Scissors
Garlic crusher
Grater
Juice squeezer
Small bowl OR jar with tight fitting lid
Whisk
Serving bowl

Instructions

1. Put the couscous in a bowl.
2. Measure 250ml of boiling water into the measuring jug.
3. Pour the hot water over the couscous and cover with the plate or tea towel. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.
4. Fluff the couscous with a fork. Add a little extra water if necessary. Allow to cool.
5. Wash and dry the vegetables.
6. De-seed the peppers and remove the core and any white pith. Chop into cubes (about 1½cm).
7. Chop the tomatoes into similar size pieces to the pepper.
8. Top and tail the spring onions and slice finely.
9. Drain the sweetcorn and discard the liquid.
10. Add the chopped peppers, tomatoes, spring onions and sweetcorn to the couscous and mix well with a fork.
11. Finely chop the parsley or coriander with scissors.
12. Peel and crush the garlic (if using). Grate the zest and squeeze the juice from the lemon.
13. Make the dressing by whisking the olive oil and lemon juice together in a small bowl (or shake together in a jar). Add the chopped coriander or parsley, crushed garlic and black pepper and mustard (if using). Whisk or shake again.
14. Pour the dressing over the couscous and mix well.

Skills used include:
Washing, weighing, measuring, peeling, chopping, crushing, grating, squeezing, whisking and mixing/combining.

Top Tips

• Couscous works best with strong flavours, so make sure your dressing has plenty of flavour. You could add a drizzle of red wine vinegar to add an extra kick to this colourful salad.

Something to try next time

• Use cold water (or orange juice) to soak your couscous. Leave to soak for about 30 minutes.
• Try roasting the peppers (or other vegetables) to add even more flavour.
• Feta or griddled halloumi cheese help turn this salad into a more substantial dish. You could add meat or fish for non-vegetarians.
• Add 50g of raisins, chopped dried apricots or dried cranberries at step 4 for added colour and sweetness.

Prepare now, eat later

• Cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.