The warm weather continues. Everyone on the street looks happy and smiley. A lot are out and about after working hours and weekends to take the sun!
I can’t believe that time has flies and we are in July now, I hope you do try out the summer recipes that I have posted so far. Today, we are making Tuna Vegetable Couscous Salad. Sounds good? If you remember, I previously made Bulgur Wheat Salad, which is pretty similar to this one. However, couscous and bulgur are slightly different in texture and size. I like both of them!
Couscous is a coarsely ground semolina wheat. It is very widely used in Middle Eastern countries. Traditional couscous requires considerable preparation time and is usually steamed. Nowadays, you can get quick-cook couscous at the supermarkets. Couscous is most often served with meat, mostly chicken, lamb or mutton, and vegetables.
The quick-cook couscous can be prepared in minutes! To prepare this type of dried couscous, pour boiling water or broth over and then seal the bowl with plastic wrap. After a few minutes, the grain swells and can be fluffed with a fork. When correctly prepared, it has a tender, moist taste and a light, fluffy texture. For me, I still like to stick to the traditional way of steaming, even though it takes slightly longer to prepare.
The ingredients that I have chosen to make my couscous salad are really simple ones. They are canned tuna (I like Tuna in brine), cherry tomatoes, sweet corns, cucumber, black olives, parsley, mint, and feta cheese. And of course, good squeeze of lemon juice! Lemon juice plays a very important role in this dish! It makes it really refreshing and summery like! 
Now, totally not related to food. I just want to tell you how much I love Peony. I think Peony is one of my favourite flowers. See how pretty they are!! What is your favourite flower(s)?
Summer Recipe: Tuna Vegetable Couscous Salad
Ingredients:
Couscous, 200g
Water, 1 litre
Cherry tomatoes, 200-250g
Parsley (finely chopped), handful
Mint (finely chopped), handful
Sweet corns, 1 small can
Tuna in brine, 1 can
Cucumber, half
Lemon, 1 or 1.5
Black Olives (chopped and some keep whole), 50g
Feta cheese, 70 – 80g
Extra Virgin Olive oil, 4 tbsp (or more if needed)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Boil 1 litre of water in a saucepan and put in couscous and cook it according to the instruction on the packet. Once cook, strain and let it cool.
2. Chop parsley, mint, black olives. Halves cherry tomatoes. Cut cucumber and feta cheese into cubes.
3. In a large bowl, put in the cooked couscous. Mix in cherry tomatoes, black olives, parsley, mint, feta cheese, sweet corns, tuna, and cucumber.
4. Squeeze juice of 1 (or 1.5) lemon and mix with the rest of the ingredients in the bowl.
6. Then, drizzle in about 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Give it a good mix.
7. Season with salt and black pepper.
8. Garnish with a few black olives.
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July 5th, 2009 at 12:44 am
I love the picture!! What a colorful and tasty dish!
July 5th, 2009 at 3:57 am
You know what? I have not tried cooking couscous at home before!
This is a summer keeper!
July 5th, 2009 at 5:29 am
I love salad too! This is a great one-dish meal for my family. A must-try salad!
I luv peony too. I saw a large size peony when I visited Beijing many years ago. Your photo looks awesome.
July 6th, 2009 at 5:35 am
Peonies are so lovely !
I think one of my favourite flowers is hydrangea, but I also love iris…
The couscous salad looks so good, it's like you've sent me a little bit of warm !
July 6th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Such beautiful posts and what a great salad — I had a brilliant tuna cous cous salad at little bistro about 5 years ago and I've thought about it ever since. The bistro closed down so I never got to go back and try it. Yours looks wonderful and I'm sure it will taste just as good, if not better!
July 6th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Thank you!!
July 6th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Tigerfish,
It's pretty easy. I like to make this dish especially when I am time constraint.
July 6th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
I think salad is great, easy and healthy! And peony is just too pretty to resist
hehe
July 6th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I love hydrangea too. Ohh.. I am glad that this couscous salad has sent you some warm!!
July 6th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Syrie,
Thank you! This salad is so easy to make and very tasty!! Give it a try
July 6th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I've always been such a fan of couscous, my top fav carb!
)
July 6th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I love peonies too… are they from your garden? This year I have beautiful roses, more than 30 different sorts in my garden! For the recipe, I do roughly the same! I love eating this sort of salads, sometimes with shrimps or sardines, and I add celery finely sliced!
July 6th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Same here!
July 6th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Dominique,
I wish I had a garden.. unfortunately I bought those peonies. Wow, 30 different roses??? Must be really pretty. Hopefully one day I can visit your garden.. heheh. Where in France do you live by the way?
It's definitely a good idea to use shrimps or sardines.. I am a great fan of seafood. And celery is great too.. I think it will make the salad even fresher!
July 6th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
You come when you want!!! I live in Brittany, west of France (near the sea). You can see pictures on my last posts ….
July 6th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
mmmmm … I love couscous ^^ … XOXO
July 7th, 2009 at 1:38 am
As usual, beautiful colours in a dish! And the peonies are so lovely!
July 8th, 2009 at 3:35 am
colorful and pretty!! I never eat or try Couscous ,wonder how it's taste? I love flower too especially annual like Peony,Dahlia,Impatient and etc..
July 8th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Love the colours in this dish … definitely something very suitable for summer. Yummy!
July 8th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Perfect for summer! And the flowers are beautiful! Wonderful pictures as always.
July 8th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
OK!! Hopefully one day!!
July 8th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
Same here.
July 8th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Thank you Lesley! Couscous doesn't have much flavor on its own; it picks up the flavor of whatever you cook it with.
Ohh.. Dahlia is nice!
July 8th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Thanks!
July 8th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Thank you, Ann!
July 8th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Thank you!
July 9th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
I just made a similar couscous salad with lemony chickpeas. You should submit this to the Blogger Secret Ingredient challenge, The ingredient this week is feta and this would be perfect!
July 9th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Hi Zoe,
Thanks for dropping by and your comment! I could imagine that it's a delicious couscous with lemony chickpeas!!
I have submitted my URL on your side for this recipe!!
July 10th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
love the looking of this dish, very bright-coloured yet looks delicious….might give it a try soon
thanks for sharing and have a happy foodie weekend!!
July 10th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Absolutely love tuna salad – and usually have it as an open-faced tuna melt. Tuna melts are much better in cooler weather, so I love your fresh, summery mediterranean version. Those peonies are lovely too!
July 10th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Thank you!! You have a good weekend too!
July 10th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Yummm.. tuna melt.. I love it! Yeah, peonies are just too lovely to resist!!
July 13th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Great combination. Making me hungry.
July 13th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Chaya,
Thanks for dropping by and your comment!
July 19th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
i have some couscous and half a can of tuna left in my fridge and was trying to think of something…what perfect timing to try this salad recipe of yours!
July 19th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Thanks for dropping by! I hope you will like this recipe!