Couscous with Watermelon, Feta, and Cherry Tomatoes

Couscous with watermelon, feta, and cherry tomatoes is a fresh and flavorful summer dish that incorporates sweet, salty, and citrus flavors. Here’s how you might prepare it with an Italian touch, perhaps by adding some fresh basil or extra virgin olive oil to enrich the dish with flavors of the Mediterranean.

Ingredients

• 200 g of couscous
• 250 g of watermelon (cut into cubes)
• 150 g of feta (crumbled)
• 200 g of cherry tomatoes (halved)
• A handful of fresh basil
• Half a red onion (finely sliced)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Cook the couscous as indicated on the package: usually, you pour the same amount of boiling water over the couscous, cover, and let it rest for about 5 minutes, then fluff it with a fork.
2. While the couscous cools, you can prepare the salad. In a large bowl, combine the watermelon cubes, halved cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta, and red onion.
3. Add the cooled couscous to the watermelon and tomato salad. Gently mix to combine the ingredients.
4. In a small bowl, emulsify the lemon juice with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.
5. Pour the emulsion over the couscous and mix well.
6. Add the fresh basil torn by hand or cut with kitchen scissors to preserve its flavor and aroma.
7. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, or lemon if necessary.

Let it rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before serving: this will allow the flavors to blend perfectly.

Curiosity

This dish is an excellent example of how Italian cuisine is able to welcome and reinterpret external influences, always maintaining a focus on the freshness and quality of the ingredients. Couscous, although not native to the peninsula, is very much appreciated in Sicily, where it meets the Mediterranean tradition.