Capture the flavours of summer in this simple, hearty couscous salad. With fried halloumi, vine tomatoes and courgettes, it's perfect for an al fresco lunch
Ingredients
- 250g couscous
- 250ml vegetable stock, boiling
- 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1-2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
- 300g courgette, sliced on the slant
- 300g small vine-ripened tomatoes, halved
- 250g pack halloumi cheese, thickly sliced and then halved lengthways
For the dressing
- 125ml olive oil
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
- ½ tsp sugar
Method
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Tip the couscous into a bowl, pour the boiling stock over and mix well with a fork. Cover with a plate and leave for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, tip all the dressing ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Fluff up the couscous with a fork, stir in the chickpeas and follow with half the dressing. Mix well and pile on to a large serving dish.
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Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and fry the courgette slices over a high heat for 2-3 minutes until dark golden brown. Lift out on to kitchen paper. Now put the tomatoes cut-side down into the pan, and cook for another couple of minutes until tinged brown on the underside. Top the couscous with the courgettes and then the tomatoes.
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If the pan is dry, pour in a little more oil and heat it up, then add the halloumi strips and fry for 2-3 minutes, turning them over from time to time, until crisp and sizzled brown. Pile on top of the tomatoes, and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Serve as soon as possible.