This versatile salad goes particularly well with lamb dishes, but makes a vegetarian dish in its own right. We have given you our basic recipe, but see Cook’s notes for variations. serves 4

Ingredients

• 250g couscous

• half a cucumber, finely diced

• 2 medium tomatoes, finely diced

• 4 spring onions, finely chopped

• 2-3 tbsp olive oil

• juice of a lemon

• 1 tbsp parsley and 3 tbsp mint, finely chopped

Recipe

1. Measure the couscous in a jug before placing in a serving bowl. Fill the jug with a slightly larger volume of boiling water, then pour over the couscous and stir.

2. After about 5 minutes the couscous will have absorbed all the water, so add the other ingredients and season well.

3. Chill until ready to serve.

Cook’s notes

• You can add dried fruit to the recipe: chop apricots into small pieces and add this and/or raisins to the dried couscous. Pouring the boiling water over them will help to make them extra juicy.

• Pomegranate seeds also add a sweetness, with added texture and colour.