Ingredients

The following ingredients have 2 Servings
  • ½ cup uncooked couscous or quinoa (for GF version)
  • ½ cup cooked chickpeas
  • 20 cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 medium cucumber, diced
  • 1 small courgette, sliced thickly
  • 1 small aubergine, sliced thickly
  • 15 black olives
  • handful of fresh mint, chopped thinnly
  • ¼ pomegranate, seeds only
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • salt & pepper
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp chilli
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • a few slices of preserved lemons, store-bought or as per the recipe below
  • 3 small unwaxed lemons
  • 45 ml lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed with the knife edge
  • ½ chilli, chopped (optional)
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 35 g sugar

Instruction

  • Put a kettle on. Place couscous in a small pot / container with a lid. Once the water boils, pour 150 ml (½ cup + 2 tbsp) of boiling water over the couscous and immediately cover with a lid. Set aside for 10 minutes. If using quinoa for a gluten-free version, prepare according to the cooking instructions on the packet.
  • Heat up 2 tbsp of olive oil in a small pan. Throw in chopped garlic and sauté on a small-medium heat, stirring frequently, until soft and fragrant. Chuck tomatoes in, season with a bit of salt and pepper and sauté them gently until they start releasing their juices, but take them off the heat before they start falling apart.
  • Brush aubergine and courgette slices with a little bit of oil and grill them on a griddle pan until cooked on both sides. Sprinkle with salt, cumin, paprika and a touch of chilli afterwards.
  • Fluff up cooked couscous with a fork, mix it with chickpeas, pomegranate seeds and freshly cut mint. Season with salt to taste.
  • Divide olives, grilled veg, raw cucumber, couscous and sautéed tomatoes between two bowls. Use garlicky oil and tomato juice as a dressing. Serve with a few slices of finely chopped lemon (I didn't chop mine just because it looks better in the photos ;) .
  • Scrub lemons very well. If they have a wax coating, immerse them in boiling water for a few minutes to dissolve it. Cut them into half lengthwise and then into very thin slices, as thin as you can.
  • Pound 1 tsp of salt and chilli in a pestle and mortar until you get a thick paste.
  • Place chilli paste, the rest of the salt, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. Add lemon slices and rub the sugar-salt mixture into them. Stick crushed garlic clove into the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least one day prior to using.