Couscous, cherry tomato and herb salad from Ottolenghi Simple (page 158) by Yotam Ottolenghi

Ingredients

cumin seeds
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ras el hanout
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- The Spice House - United States
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Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Accompaniments: Beef tomato carpaccio with spring onion and ginger salsa; Chopped salad with tahini and za'atar; Spring onion and herb salad; Roasted whole cauliflower; Avocado and broad bean mash; Roasted baby carrots with harissa and pomegranate; Carrot salad with yoghurt and cinnamon; Roasted beetroot with yoghurt and preserved lemon; Grilled lamb fillet with almonds and orange blossom

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

DebCooks on April 20, 2026

Excellent flavor and texture. However not a simple recipe as the cookbook’s name implies, but worth making again. I made my own rose ras el hanout by combining equal parts coriander, cumin and smoked paprika.
murphyfrank on February 08, 2026

Terrible photo but a delicious salad. Served with kebabs. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow
Anea25 on May 05, 2025

nice fragrant salad. I would double / triple the quantity of tomatoes next time.
Tealismyname on April 18, 2025

Cooked this again without the spice mix-up. Was delicious but I did miss the subtle hint of cinnamon. We mixed everything together because we're lazy :D
averythingcooks on May 02, 2024

I made this to serve with grilled chicken + basil vinaigrette sliced over top and it was a delicious dinner bowl. I never have raisins on hand so I used dried cranberries (chopped dried apricots would also be good) & parsley for the herb. We loved the soft tomatoes & onions with the ras el hanout and the lively basil dressing from the chicken recipe was a perfect touch. I can see repeating this idea with various grains (quinoa for sure) but I will say that even 1/3 of the recipe made a ton of couscous for the 2 of us.
Tealismyname on April 21, 2024

This was absolutely delicious and had great texture. My husband by accident used garam masala with the couscous before realizing we had ras el hanout. This actually added depth and the cinnamon undertones worked really well. I think we will keep the garam masala for the couscous and the ras el hanout for the onions. Cooking the onions long enough is absolutely key!
Pimlicocook on July 22, 2023

I thought this was fragrant and delicious. It also kept well for several days. Will definitely make again.
KarinaFrancis on April 04, 2022

This was a pretty good salad but probably not my favourite. The onions and tomatoes are great flavour boosters, it needed a lot more lemon, I probably added double what was stated.
PQPantry on March 13, 2022

Delicious, balanced nicely with spicy harissa chicken.
Ganga108 on June 24, 2021

Love this salad. Have also made it with buckwheat instead of couscous. I love the play of sweet and sour in this dish. The sweet from the onions and the raisins, the sour of the lemon and tomatoes. The warmth of the spices. The texture of the couscous and the crunch of the nuts. Truly delicious.
katy1729 on August 11, 2019

First time making this recipe, so I followed the quantities rather than guessing! Great. The almonds are a very nice touch. Would definitely make again. Served with the turkey & courgette burgers on this occasion.
JennyHay on December 26, 2018

I really loved this combination for couscous. The ras el hanout I use has nice bite which adds to the dish. It was even better the next day heated slightly. I served it with the Lamb and Feta Meatballs (page 204)
Lepa on October 23, 2018

This was fussy to pull together and completely lacking in flavor. I took it to a book club and nobody ate much. The dish needed more flavor, more dressing and probably some acid or cheese to bring the flavors together. As written, it's a bit of a dud.