Rosa Jackson’s Salade de Couscous (Summer Couscous Salad)

This super riffable salad is one of our favorite dishes from Rosa Jackson’s Niçoise: Market-Inspired Cooking from France’s Sunniest City. As Jackson points out in her headnote, you can find versions of it all over France — from school cafeterias and refrigerated supermarket sections to fancy traiteur (takeaway food) shops. Jackson’s inspiration for this one is ratatouille; that’s why it’s flecked with small-diced zucchini, bell pepper and onion. Golden raisins give it interesting depth and make it feel North African; fresh mint and parsley gift it lift. If you want to make a complete meal out of it, Jackson suggests adding leftover slices of lamb or chicken or feta or goat cheese.

We love it as is, and only have regretted — the last couple of times we made it — that we didn’t make a double batch. It eats really well the next day or two as leftovers.

Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients

3/4 cup / 125 g couscous

1/4 cup / 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

A pinch of ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon chile powder or hot paprika (optional)

1/4 cup / 26 grams golden raisins or dried currants

Sea salt

3/4 cup / 180 ml water

1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch / .5 cm dice

1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch / .5 cm dice

1 medium zucchini (about 6 ounces / 150 g), cut into 1/4-inch / .5 cm dice

1/2 cup / 10 grams packed Italian parsley leaves, thinly sliced

1/4 cup / 5 grams packed mint leaves, thinly sliced

1/4 cup / 60 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 large juicy lemon), or more to taste

Very good extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling (optional)

Instructions

1. Place the couscous in a heatproof serving bowl that can later hold all the vegetables, and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the cumin, cinnamon, chile powder or paprika (if using), raisins or currants, and a big pinch of salt. Stir with a metal spoon to coat all the grains with the oil.

2. Bring the water or stock to a boil and pour it over the couscous, making sure all the grains are immersed. Cover with a plate and set aside for 5 minutes, then remove the plate and fluff the couscous with a fork.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the vegetables, with a sprinkling of salt, and cook, tossing or stirring occasionally, until they are light golden in patches but still retain some bite, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat.

4. Add the vegetables to the couscous and stir well. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.

5. Add the parsley and mint, the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and the lemon juice to the couscous-vegetable mixture and stir to combine well. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Serve at room temperature, with a drizzle of very good olive oil, if you like.