Summer is here, everyone is happy, and finally, tomatoes taste like tomatoes again! Is that why everyone is happy?
This couscous and tomato salad from the wonderful cookbook "Genussvoll vegetarisch" (Delightful Vegetarian) by British-Israeli celebrity chef Yotam Ottolenghi, published by Dorling Kindersley, is sure to put you in a good mood. It's healthy and light, of course, looks wonderfully colorful, and is quick to make, too. Yet another reason to be happy. This gives you more time for other enjoyable things...
In this recipe, as the name suggests, couscous plays a central role alongside various types of tomatoes—here, vine tomatoes, yellow cherry tomatoes, green tomatoes, and wild tomatoes, but feel free to use the ones you like best. Our large-grain M'hamsa couscous from Tunisia pairs wonderfully with this recipe. Its larger grains offer more punch in the mouth and create a more interesting interplay of textures than regular couscous. (While that's certainly fine, if you're in doubt...)
The author emphasizes in the book that the selection of tomatoes below is only a suggestion. If you don't have many different varieties on hand, simply add up the quantities and adjust them to your liking.
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 275 g couscous
- Salt
- olive oil
- 300 g medium-sized vine tomatoes, quartered
- 3/4 tsp raw cane sugar
- Black pepper or Piment d'Espelette (for the color!)
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp coarsely chopped oregano
- 2 tbsp coarsely chopped tarragon
- 3 tbsp coarsely chopped mint
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 small green tomato, cut into wedges
- 100 g small wild tomatoes or halved red cherry tomatoes
- 150 g yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Cook the couscous in salted water for about 18 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Allow to dry completely and toss with a dash of olive oil.
Meanwhile, spread the quartered vine tomatoes on half of a large ovenproof dish and sprinkle with sugar, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and a little oil and place in the oven. After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and increase the temperature. Spread the yellow cherry tomatoes on the empty half of the ovenproof dish, also season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with oil.
Return the dish to the oven and roast the tomatoes for another 12 minutes. Then remove the tomatoes and let them cool.
In a large bowl, gently mix the couscous with the herbs, garlic, baked tomatoes (including their juice), green tomatoes, and baby wild tomatoes. Ottolenghi recommends doing this with your hands rather than salad servers.
Taste and season with salt, pepper and olive oil if desired.
Freshly baked bread, for example, goes well with this. And don't forget the wine!
Our tip: If you like, you can also cut Mahjoub's dried tomatoes into small pieces or strips and mix them into the salad. To complement the salad and accompany fresh bread, we recommend the artichoke hearts, garlic confit, and marinated peppers.
Our wine recommendation: The Contraste Rosé from the Douro pairs particularly well with this summery salad. It's fresh, refreshing, and vibrant. The color is intense and bright, and the palate is dense and complex with great elegance. The finish is medium-length and fruity. Bottle: €8.95 | Case of 6 for €48.00 (instead of €53.70).
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The recipe is from the book "Delightfully Vegetarian. Mediterranean - Oriental - Refined." Yotam Ottolenghi, photos by J. Lovekin. Dorling Kindersley Publishing (2011).
