Veggie Couscous Salad

Out of respect for our Lebanese friends, I am not calling this dish tabbouleh. But it is definitely tabbouleh-inspired. I always adored tabbouleh. In France, it is a classic summery dish that we like to eat, mostly as a side for barbecues or summer gatherings. It is so popular that small grocery stores always sell boxed tabbouleh in the fresh section, year-long. I used to eat it quite a lot as a poor student. But, careful ! The tabbouleh we eat here would make my Lebanese friends angry, as there's almost no parsley in it, and you mostly get couscous and veggies. I was lucky enough to try what was as close to the authentic tabbouleh as you can get when I traveled to Turkey with my parents. I remember it as if it was yesterday ; the herbs -there were several of them- made all the difference, and the fragrances were amazing. Since then, I've tried other Lebanese tabbouleh, but I've always found the parsley quite overpowering. Instead of reproducing the classic recipe, I felt like making a hearty couscous salad, that could be eaten as a main, with lots of different veggies and several condiments and spices to make the flavours pop.  I was very pleased with the end result. Even my companion, who's really not into tabbouleh, kept saying how delicious it was. Plus, the recipe is budget-friendly and healthy, yes sir !

Veggie Couscous Salad - Recipe

Ingredients - Where to find them

Those ingredients are easy to get from your typical grocery store, and for those which aren't, you can easily skip them or replace them !

Ingredients - Advice & key points

• If you don't like it spicy, just remove the green bell pepper and the green harissa ! If you like it a lil bit spicy, only keep the harissa as it is quite mild.
• Replace the green harissa with another hot sauce if you can't find it ! I usually find it in grocery stores or specialized African stores.
• Feel free to play around with the ingredients used !
  • Replace the veggies with what you have on hands ! You could add cucumber, replace shallots with onions, or add radishes, for example.
  • Go for what feels right for you when it comes to herbs ! You could use one or two instead of three, or add cilantro instead, for example. But definitely use a large amount ; it's what brings this couscous salad to the next level.
  • You can remove the curry powder or add other spices !
  • If you don't feel like it, remove the canned peas and corn. I find that they bring a needed sweetness though, that balances out the tang from the lemon and green harissa.

Come now, let's get your hands dirty !