Hello lovelies, I'm back with a new recipe — a delicious couscous salad with apricots, pistachios, lots of fresh mint and barberries. The salad tastes wonderfully fresh and is the perfect side for a barbecue evening, or great to take along on a picnic. It's quick to make and easy to prepare ahead, but it should be given a little time to soak up the flavors.
Right now the most delicious local apricots are in season, and you've got to make the most of that. While the kids love peaches best, I have to say the apricot is one of my favorites among the stone fruits. Apricots don't just taste delicious, they're also very healthy. They contain plenty of provitamin A (carotene), as well as vitamins B1, B2 and C and minerals like potassium, calcium and phosphorus.
Combined with the nutty couscous, the sweet apricots, the fresh herbs and the pistachios, this salad is a real summer dream — and a lovely change from the usual salads, too.
You can of course adjust the amount of herbs, and which ones you use, to your own taste. If you don't like cilantro, use parsley instead, for example. And if you can't find barberries, you can use cranberries too. You'll usually find barberries in health food stores; they're used above all in Iranian cooking and are tart and very tasty. They also have some health benefits — with around 25 mg of vitamin C per 100 g they give the immune system a boost, and the natural red pigments that barberries are rich in protect the body's cells from free radicals and other harmful influences.
I hope I've inspired you to try a slightly different kind of salad. Especially since our trip to Morocco, I've been a big couscous fan and love how versatile it is. And the kids really enjoyed the salad too!
