Caprese Couscous
With Summer coming I've been trying to eat healthily and create light, simple dishes full of lovely British veggies. This Italian-inspired couscous is a really tasty alternative to a green salad and it takes hardly any time to prepare, so great for a quick lunch. I have my own basil plant which you can find in any big supermarket (cheaper than buying bunches of it and far more flavoursome than the dried stuff) and you should always try to buy tomatoes grown in the UK! Unless you're reading from elsewhere in which case buy tomatoes grown in your own country/state where possible!
This recipe serves 1, multiply as necessary for more people.
It would make a great side dish with pizza!
Prep & cooking time: 10 mins total
Ingredients
2-3 medium sized tomatoes or 6-8 cherry tomatoes
40g (about half a cup) pre-cooked couscous
4 pitted olives
8 mozzarella pearls
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3/4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 basil leaves
salt & pepper to season
- Pour your dry couscous into a pan and cover with just over the same quantity of boiling water. So if you used half a cup of couscous, you would need just over half a cup of water. Stir, cover with a lid and leave for 5 minutes.
- Slice up your tomatoes however you like, halve the olives.
- Once your couscous has absorbed all the water, fluff it up with a fork and then scrape it all into whatever you're eating out of, ie. a bowl or pasta dish.
- Add your chopped tomatoes and olives to the couscous and mix well so all the tomato juice mixes with the grains. Then add the mozzarella pearls and stir with your fork.
- Season with your balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Shred the basil leaves by tearing them into little pieces and throw them in. Stir well.
That's it! How simple was that?! Enjoy as a quick lunch, a side dish with Italian food or maybe even as a starter with a glass of wine before dinner. Let me know if you try it in the comments section below!
