Delicious Summer Couscous Salad with Roasted Vegetables & Baked Feta

Summer brings an explosion of fresh flavours, making it the ideal time to craft a vibrant salad. I recently explored Jamie Oliver's Greenhouse Couscous Salad with Roasted Vegetables, as ever, no recipe is recreated here to the letter, I'm always looking for a way to amplify the flavours and couldn’t resist adding my personal touch to the recipe. The outcome was a fragrant, colourful dish that not only appeals to the eye but also delights the palate.

In this post, I’m excited to share this refreshing Summer Couscous Salad with Roasted Vegetables & Baked Feta salad, including the unique twist that enhanced its charm. Let’s explore the recipe together and uncover how to whip up a summer salad that’s bound to impress!

The Unique Soaking Method

The method that made this recipe stand out in Jamie Oliver's original recipe was the technique of soaking couscous in a mix of cold, freshly blended tomatoes and basil, rather than using hot water. This method infuses the couscous with a rich, aromatic flavour that is hard to resist.

To begin, I coarsely chopped ripe tomatoes, blending them with a handful of fresh basil (setting some aside for garnish), red wine vinegar, water, and a good pinch of garlic sea salt. Jamie's original recipe included fresh chilli's, I wanted to make this a more family friendly, especially for the youngest member of the house and opted for a jar of marinated peppers to really amplify the flavours of this vibrant sauce. Jamie then suggests straining the sauce through a coarse sieve into a deep enamel tray. I took the executive decision that life is too short for this straining malarkey, I can see absolutely no benefit here, so in went the sauce unstrained into the enamel tray, then stir in the dry couscous. The tray of couscous is then placed in the fridge for an hour, to allow the sauce to work it's magic and plump up the couscous to maximum tasty fluffiness.

Summer Couscous Salad with Roasted Vegetables & Baked Feta - The Recipe

Ingredients:

700g ripe mixed-colour tomatoes

3 Roasted Red Peppers from a jar

1 bunch of basil (30g)

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

2tsp olive oil

1 mug of couscous (300g)

500g baby courgettes

6 carrots, select ones which are long, but fairly thin. I like to use bunched carrots with the tops still intact.

Bunch of asparagus, woody stems snapped off.

200g feta cheese

Small bunch of fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped

olive oil

Method

Prepare the Couscous

Add chopped tomatoes and red peppers to a blender, along with the fresh basil, red wine vinegar, oil and a pinch of salt and blend until smooth.

Poor the sauce into a deep enamel tray and stir in the dry couscous. The tray of couscous is then placed in the fridge for an hour, to allow the sauce to work it's magic and plump up the couscous to maximum tasty fluffiness.

Roasting the Vegetables

While the couscous soaks, it’s time to prepare the roasted vegetables. I preheated the oven to 180°C (350°F)

Sprinkle the a chopping board with the black pepper and chopped fresh oregano and drizzle the whole piece of feta cheese with olive oil. No press the feta into the black pepper and chopped oregano on both sides, so it is lightly coated.

Trim baby courgettes, slicing them lengthwise and laying them in a baking tray, along with some whole thin carrots and nestle the feta cheese block in the middle of the vegetables. A drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper elevated the flavours beautifully and roast for 30 minutes. 5 minutes towards the end of cooking, I remove the pan from the oven, toss in the asparagus spears and ensure they are coated in the oil and return to the oven for the remaining 5 minutes.

Bringing It All Together

Once the vegetables reached perfection, I removed the couscous from the fridge and fluffed the couscous with a fork and then tumbled over the roasted vegetables. Now crumble chunks of the warm feta over the top. A sprinkle of the reserved basil leaves and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil finished it off nicely.

This salad shines as a warm dish or can be enjoyed cold, making it versatile for summer gatherings, picnics, or a light dinner at home.