Green Couscous with Spinach

As I put this salad together my thoughts are all over the place. There is a lot going on and so much is unclear. Life is like that sometimes. The kitchen is my sanctuary. Preparing this meal will relax me.

And so I begin, after preparing the couscous I start sauteing the onion. It's a slow process as it takes time to soften and turn slightly golden. Maybe 10 minutes or so. Next onto the herb paste. Now this will take a chunk of time. All that cleaning and chopping. After a short blitz in the food processor it's ready to put together. Add the final toppings.

Green couscous is full of bold flavors and very healthy. Another great recipe from the cookbook, "Plenty". by Yotam Ottolenghi. A fish or vegetable dish is recommended for the accompaniment.

Ingredients:

Base:

1 cup whole wheat couscous
3/4 cup boiling water
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Herb paste:

1/3 cup parsley fresh (chopped)
1 cup cilantro fresh (chopped)
2 tablespoon fresh tarragon (chopped)
2 tablespoon fresh dill (chopped)
2 tablespoons fresh mint (chopped)
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Toppings:

1/2 cup pistachios (toasted and chopped)
3 green onions (finely chopped)
1 fresh green chili (finely sliced)
1 1/4 cup arugula leaves (I used spinach)

To prepare:

Place the couscous in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, fry the onions in the olive oil on medium heat until golden and completely soft. Add the salt and cumin and mix well. Leave to cool slightly.

To make the herb paste. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Add the herb paste to the couscous and mix everything together well with a fork to fluff it up. Add the cooked onion, the pistachios, green onions, green chili and spinach and gently mix. Serve at room temperature.