detour. My kitchen

Lunches · FIRST EDITION

Cumin couscous & chickpea bowls

Fluffy couscous, chickpeas and crunchy vegetables with a warm cumin dressing.

15 minutes · Serves 2

Budget

Meals built around lower-cost staples, beans, grains and everyday vegetables.

Serving inspiration
Serving inspiration · stock photograph

If a pasta salad is familiar, couscous gets you to a similar lunch with just a kettle.

Here’s how.

  1. 1

    Soak the couscous

    Put couscous and salt in a heatproof bowl. Add the measured boiling water, or use the ratio on your packet. Cover for 5 minutes.

  2. 2

    Whisk the dressing

    Mix oil with cumin, lemon zest and half the lemon juice.

  3. 3

    Fluff and fold

    Fluff couscous with a fork. Fold in chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes and parsley.

  4. 4

    Dress the bowls

    Toss with the dressing and add more lemon juice to taste. Divide between bowls.

Fluff the grains before adding the dressing so it spreads evenly.

First edition recipe draft — not yet kitchen-tested. Cooking times are estimates.