Pearl Couscous with Pesto, Rainbow Tomatoes & Feta

I had great plans to finally start using more wintery ingredients, but it looks like the weather here in London has made a very pleasant U-turn which means we can keep enjoying the sunshine as well as more Summer food.

This is a very simple couscous salad that you can make ahead and store in the fridge. Just perfect for those lazy, hot end of Summer days.
I am a big fan of couscous but for some reason I don’t make it as often as I would like. In this specific recipe the classic pesto is the absolute game-changer as it instantly gives you a very fresh taste. I’ve paired it with plum tomatoes and crumbled feta.

It’s a bit of a cliché and I am aware I always try to add feta everywhere but in this case I can assure you that the contrast between the pesto and the tangy cheese is going to make you happy.

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Always add feta!

Ingredients

1 cup of pearl couscous
2 cups of vegetable stock
1 clove of garlic
Plum tomatoes
Crumbled feta

For the Pesto

30g of basil
10g of pine nuts
40g of parmesan
Half a clove of garlic
1 pinch of coarse salt
60g extra virgin olive oil

Steps by step 

• In a blender add the garlic, basil, pinch of salt and pine nuts. Blend well. Add the parmesan and blend again. Add the olive oil and blend again. Taste and adjust ingredients. Set aside

• In a deep non-stick pan add some olive oil and the clove of garlic. Sauté for a few minutes and add in your pearl couscous. Toast it for a couple of minutes

• Add the stock in you pan, season and bring to boil. When it starts boiling, lower the heat and put the lid on. Your couscous should be ready by the time the water evaporates from the pan. Taste it and if it’s still tough add another shot of water. It should roughly cook in 10 to 12minutes

• When the couscous is ready, drizzle with olive oil and set aside to cool down

• When it has cooled down, transfer into a bowl and mix it with your pesto. Add a couple of generous handfuls of plum tomatoes and crumbled the feta on top

• This is best enjoyed fridge cold or at room temperature

Tips & cheats

I toasted the couscous first to give it a stronger taste but if you prefer you can simply boil it like you would with pasta. If you do so you will avoid using vegetable stock too.

If you decide to toast the couscous and go with the 1:2 couscous/water ratio just make sure you check it while cooking. Different brands or couscous sizes will cook differently so just make sure you don’t forget about it completely while on the stove.

The combination of pesto and couscous is the base but what comes with it can change according to your taste. For example you could use sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella instead of fresh tomatoes and feta.