Tabbouleh

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• ½ red bell pepper(s)
• ½ bell pepper(s), yellow
• ½ bell pepper(s), green
• 300 g couscous
• 300 ml vegetable broth, strong
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar bianco
• 2 shallots or small red onions
• 1 tomato(s)
• some mint, freshly chopped, if desired
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp spice mix (Ras el Hanout)

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 20 minutes

Couscous salad, a recipe from my French mother-in-law. Makes a large salad bowl – enough as a side dish for about 4 people.

Place the couscous in a large bowl and pour the vegetable stock over it. After a few seconds, when the liquid has been absorbed, fluff it up with a fork. Then let the couscous sit for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, wash the peppers and tomatoes. Remove the white pith and seeds, and dice the peppers very finely. Halve the tomato and remove the seeds. Dice the tomato as well. Peel the shallots and also dice them. Once the couscous is well marinated, fluff them up again with a fork. Mix in the vegetables (peppers, tomatoes, and shallots). Add the oil and vinegar. You can increase the amount of oil and vinegar to taste. Just be careful not to add too much liquid, as the salad should be relatively dry, so no marinade should be visible. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and ras el hanout. Again, add the amount according to taste. If you don’t have ras el hanout, you can leave it out. At the end, stir in the very finely chopped mint. We usually leave the mint because we don’t particularly like it. The salad is great to prepare in advance—for example, in the morning for dinner. Simply let it stand in a cool place or in the refrigerator until ready to eat. However, I recommend tasting the salad beforehand and adding more seasoning if necessary. It tastes great with merguez, grilled food, or just on its own.