Tomato Couscous Lunch

Name: Tomato Couscous Lunch
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Mediterranean & Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 140 g Dry couscous; 180 ml Water; 180 g Tomato; 140 g Cucumber; 20 ml Lemon juice; 20 ml Olive oil; 2 g Fine salt

Fresh tomato and cucumber turn couscous into a simple lunch with a lemon dressing. Only the grain needs hot water, making this useful when you want little stove work. Follow the couscous packet if its liquid ratio differs, fluff it after resting and let the steam escape before folding in the raw vegetables.

Tomato-coated couscous with tomato pieces and a few capers on a white plate. — Representative photograph · Tomato couscous by Joey Doll · Source · CC BY 2.0. Full frame; resized without enlargement and compressed as WebP; responsive sizes are derivatives of this same photograph. Representative tomato couscous. The photographed serving has capers and a tomato coating; the cucumber and lemon dressing in this recipe are not pictured. Not a photograph of a PANTRISORA kitchen trial.

Mediterranean & Middle Eastern · Preparation time: 10 min · Cook time: 5 min · Total time: 15 min · 2 servings · Easy

Recipe timing and yield are estimates. This recipe has not been kitchen-tested.

Ingredients

140 g Dry couscous
180 ml Water
180 g Tomato
140 g Cucumber
20 ml Lemon juice
20 ml Olive oil
2 g Fine salt

Allergens listed for these ingredients · Wheat. Check package labels.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Bring the water and salt to a boil. Pour over the couscous in a heatproof bowl, cover and leave until absorbed, following the package if it specifies a different ratio.
Dice the tomato and cucumber. Fluff the couscous with a fork and let the steam escape.
Fold in the vegetables, lemon juice and oil. Taste a spoonful, then divide into two lunch bowls.

Official food storage reference

Equipment

Kitchen scale, measuring jug, knife, cutting board, saucepan or pot sized for the ingredients, mixing bowl, spatula or spoon.

Storage

Keep perishable ingredients refrigerated according to their labels. Serve promptly. Chill cooked leftovers promptly in shallow covered portions and consult the official storage chart for the food type.

For perishable foods and leftovers, U.S. FDA guidance calls for prompt refrigeration, no more than two hours at room temperature (one hour above 32°C/90°F), and a refrigerator at or below 4°C/40°F. Follow the product label and local guidance. Smell and appearance alone cannot establish safety.

FDA handling and storage conditions

Ingredient substitution

Use quick-cooking couscous, not pearl couscous, for the covered soaking method. Pearl couscous usually needs simmering and different liquid; its packet would require a different method.

Editorial guidance, not kitchen-tested. Check product labels and allergens after any change. These notes do not change automatic inventory matching.

Ingredient substitution principles (Colorado State University Extension)

Cooking Tips

Read through the method and measure the ingredients before heating the pan. Use the listed equipment and check the recipe-specific handling notes above.

FAQ

Can I change the serving count?

Use the Recipe Converter linked below to scale ingredient quantities. Pan capacity and cooking times do not scale in direct proportion.

Is this an exact photograph of this recipe?

Where available, the credited image is a representative photograph. The caption explains known presentation differences; use the written ingredients and instructions.