Jamie Oliver's super easy couscous salad that is the perfect picnic addition - recipe

Summery sunshine is best enjoyed outdoors, especially when you have a lovely picnic to share.

By Chanelle Georgina, Senior Reporter

Couscous with grilled vegetables

A couscous salad is so versatile (Image: Getty)

Jamie Oliver has created the most perfect portable lunch you can eat outside on a sunny day, such as today.

"Think of this couscous salad as a starting point, rather than a fixed recipe," the British chef said of his couscous salad. 

"Use it as inspiration to start jazzing up couscous with your own favourite vegetables or leftovers to create a unique and delicious lunch."

For Jamie Oliver's tasty couscous lunch, he's added broccoli, feta, and a gorgeous homemade salad dressing but, as he said, you really could add whatever you may have in the fridge.

Here's how to make Jamie Oliver's super easy couscous salad in as little as 10 minutes.

Feta cheese on cutting board

Feta cheese pairs well with a couscous salad (Image: Getty)

Couscous salad

Ingredients

  • 100g couscous
  • Head of broccoli)
  • 20g feta cheese

Dressing

  • Half a clove of garlic
  • One small handful of sultanas
  • One small handful of pine nuts
  • Two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • One orange
  • Half a bunch of fresh mint

Method

Place 100g of couscous into a saucepan with a pinch of sea salt and just cover with boiling water. Pop on the lid and leave for five to 10 minutes.

Place the head of the broccoli in a medium pan of boiling water over a medium-high heat and cook for about four minutes. Remove with a pair of tongs and place in a colander to steam-dry for a minute or two.

Delicious healthy cous cous salad with herbs, lemon zest, feta cheese and pomegranate seeds

What will you add to your couscous salad? (Image: Getty)

Make the dressing

Peel and crush a clove of garlic into a clean jar. Add a handful each of sultanas and pine nuts, two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and squeeze in the juice from one orange.

Pick the leaves from a bunch of fresh mint (set aside a few leaves for garnish), finely chop and add to the jar with salt and pepper. Pop the lid on the jar and shake well to combine.

Chop the cooked and steamed broccoli. Fluff up the couscous with a fork, then scrape the broccoli into the bowl and mix well.

When ready to eat, drizzle the dressing onto the couscous and broccoli mixture, add feta, and garnish with mint leaves.

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