Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad with Spicy Harissa Dressing
This Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad is based on a Delia Smith recipe that has been in my summer salad rotation for many years now. It’s a little bit Mediterranean, North African and a little bit Middle Eastern.
Grilled vegetables, couscous, and an abundance of fresh herbs are layered one on top of the other, making an attractive, appetizing presentation. The spicy tomato, harissa dressing gives this simple salad a boost of flavour.
Crumbled feta or creamy goat cheese adds a nice tangy saltiness to the salad but can be omitted for a dairy free version of the dish.
You will want to serve this salad in a glass salad bowl to show off the pretty layers.
The Dressing
What really makes this salad stand out from the crowd is the spicy harissa and tomato dressing. To make the dressing all you need is some tomato passata/ puree, olive oil, lemon juice and some harissa spice blend. If you don’t have harissa substitute a mixture of cayenne, paprika, cumin and turmeric.
The Herbs
A heap of fresh herbs sits on tops this layered salad, almost like a mini mixed green salad. Fresh cilantro, mint, parsley and basil all work well, or use a combination of your favorite herbs.
Leave smaller leaves whole, and just roughly tear or chop any larger leaves so they are quite visible, and you can tell what herbs are in the mix.
Prepare the herbs just be before you are ready to serve the salad so that they are bright and fresh.
Add Protein
To turn this salad into a nice light lunch with some protein include 1-2 cups of chickpeas, lentils, or your favorite bean as the bottom layer for the salad. Black beans make a nice visually attractive layer, contrasting with the soft texture and light colour of the couscous.
Make Ahead
The dressing and the vegetables can be prepared up-to a day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Allow time for the vegetables to come to room temperature before assembling the salad.
As the dressing sits it may take on more heat from the spices and thicken up a little. If it is too spicy for your taste, add in some more tomato puree and a little water to thin if needed.
The couscous only takes 5 minutes to prepare, but if needed can be made a few hours ahead of time. After the couscous has absorbed the liquid, fluff with a fork and drizzle with some olive oil then set aside until ready to assemble the salad.
If you like this salad recipe you may also like Grilled Vegetable and Chickpea Grain Bowl. Same great vegetables, but with a light tahini dressing and farro.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 small egg plant
- 1 small zucchini
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- ½ bunch asparagus woody stems snapped off
- 12 – 15 black olives pitted
- ½ pint cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 tbsp capers
- 2 cups mixed fresh herbs, torn or roughly chopped (cilantro, parsley, mint, basil)
- ½ cup crumbed feta or goat cheese optional
- 1 cup couscous
- 1½ cups water
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
For the dressing
- 4 tablespoons tomato passata/ puree
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice or lime juice
- 2 tsp harissa spice blend substitute ½ tsp each paprika, cayenne, cumin, turmeric
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
The Vegetables
- Heat an outdoor grill for medium-high, direct heat.
- Trim and cut the vegetables while the grill heats. Drizzle the vegetables on both sides with the olive oil and season with salt.
- Grill the vegetables in a single layer, starting with the peppers as they will take the longest (about 8-10 minutes), followed by the eggplant and zucchini (about 7-8 minutes) and finally the asparagus (about 4-6 minutes).Place the grilled peppers into a bowl and cover while you grill the other vegetables. This will "steam" the peppers making it easy to remove the charred skin. Note: You can also use roasted vegetables for this dish. Simply toss in olive oil and roast on a baking sheet at 425 degrees F, stirring occasionally, for 30 -45 minutes.
- Rinse the cherry tomatoes and cut into halves. Peel the charred skin from the grilled peppers. Cut the grilled vegetables into roughly one-inch pieces and toss together with the cherry tomatoes. Set aside while you prepare the couscous.Note: The grilled vegetables can be prepared up to a day ahead of time, then brought to room temperature and tossed with the cherry tomatoes when you are ready to assemble the salad.
The Couscous
- Bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil in a heatproof bowl in a microwave. Add ¼ tsp salt and the couscous. Give a quick stir then cover the bowl and let stand 5 minutes.
The Dressing
- Meanwhile, prepare the dressing.
- While the couscous is standing, prepare the dressing.Place the tomato puree, olive oil, lemon juice and the harissa spice blend in a bowl or jar and shake or whisk to combine. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water to thin to your desired salad dressing consistency. Taste and add salt if needed.
- Fluff the couscous with a fork and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Assemble the Salad
- Place the couscous in the bottom of a large salad bowl. Mix the cherry tomatoes, capers and olives together with the grilled vegetables and layer on top of the couscous. Next, crumble the feta or goat cheese over the grilled vegetables.
- Roughly tear or chop the fresh herbs, leaving any smaller leaves whole, and layer over top of the salad.Note: tear or chop the fresh herbs at the last minute, just before you are serving the salad.
- To serve, drizzle with a little of the salad dressing over top, and serve the extra dressing on the side for people to help themselves.