Couscous Salad with Harissa Glazed Halloumi, Cherries & Edible Flowers
Sun, 20 July 2025
Couscous Salad with Harissa Glazed Halloumi, Cherries & Edible Flowers
Serves 6-8 as a side salad
Ingredients:
200g couscous
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 orange (zest & juice)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 spring onion, finely chopped
20 fresh cherries, stones removed and halved
½ cucumber, deseeded and cut into 1cm cubes
15 dried apricots, roughly chopped
15g flat leaf parsley, larger stems discarded and roughly chopped
15g mint, leaves picked off and roughly chopped
4 calendula (pot marigold flowers) and 20 cornflowers (petals picked off the flowers)
225g halloumi, cut into 2-3cm cubes
1 tablespoon rose harissa
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
Greek yoghurt, to serve
Instructions:
1. Put the couscous in a heatproof bowl, add the cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, salt orange zest and 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix well.
2. Pour over 250ml boiling water, cover with a plate or clingfilm and leave for 10 minutes.
3. Prepare the spring onion, cherries cucumber, apricots, herbs and edible flowers.
4. Combine the rose harissa, honey and one tablespoon of orange juice in a small bowl. Stir to mix.
5. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat, add the cubed halloumi and fry for a couple of minutes or until it turns golden brown, then turn the halloumi to cook on the other side.
6. Once the halloumi is golden brown on two sides add the fennel seeds and cook for a further 30 seconds.
7. Add half the harissa dressing and cook for a minute turning the halloumi over in the marinade until it is coated and sticky.
8. Remove the cover from the couscous and fluff up the grains with your fingertips.
9. Stir in the remaining olive oil, orange juice and harissa dressing.
10. Add the cherries, apricots, cucumber and spring onion and stir. Finally stir in the chopped herbs and most of the edible flowers.
11. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
12. Pile the couscous into a large bowl and top with the warm harissa glazed halloumi and sprinkle over the remaining edible flowers.
13. Serve with Greek yoghurt dolloped on the side.
