Grilled Merguez and Onions With Mint-Lemon Couscous
Updated Aug. 12, 2024
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 2¼cups boiling water
- 2cups couscous (regular or whole wheat)
- 1½teaspoons salt, plus more as needed
- 2lemons
- 2teaspoons ground cumin
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- ½cup thinly sliced radishes
- 1red onion, peeled and cut into 1½-inch wedges
- 8ounces merguez (lamb or beef)
- 1cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1cup roughly chopped mint leaves, plus more for garnish
- 1cup roughly chopped parsley leaves and stems, plus more for garnish
- ½cup thinly sliced cucumber
- ¼cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
Preparation
- Step 1
Make the couscous: In a medium, heat-resistant bowl, combine boiling water, couscous and 1 teaspoon salt, and cover with a plate or lid. Let sit until the water is absorbed, 7 to 12 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, light the grill to medium-high or heat your broiler with the rack 3 inches from the heat source.
- Step 3
Halve lemons crosswise and then squeeze the juice from one half into a large bowl. Add cumin, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Slowly whisk in ⅓ cup olive oil. Stir in radishes and set aside to marinate.
- Step 4
Place onion wedges and remaining 3 lemon halves, cut-side down, in a grill basket and grill until charred on one side only, 2 to 4 minutes. Or place on a sheet pan and broil until charred, 5 minutes. Transfer onions and lemons to a cutting board.
- Step 5
Either on the grill, or on the same sheet pan as you used for the onions, grill or broil merguez until browned all over, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer sausages to a cutting board and cover with foil to keep warm while you assemble the salad.
- Step 6
When onion is cool enough to handle, dice it and add to radishes. Fold in couscous, tomatoes, ½ cup mint, ½ cup parsley, cucumbers, nuts and a large pinch of salt. Squeeze the juice from a charred lemon half into the bowl. Taste and add more salt and lemon, if needed. Slice merguez on a bias into ½-inch pieces.
- Step 7
To serve, spoon couscous salad onto a platter, then top with sausages and any accumulated juices. Garnish with remaining herbs and a big drizzle of olive oil, and serve with remaining charred lemon halves on the side for more squeezing.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
This cauliflower “thing” can also be about caloric intake, Patricia. About 176 c for couscous vs. about 32 c for cauliflower rice, and 36 vs. 8 carbs. Diabetics are frequently excited about a viable substitution like cauliflower. The subtle difference in flavor will be a small sacrifice for a salad touted as great with many variations.
I’m going to try quinoa for my gluten free friends.
Just because it may look similar the cauliflower and couscous doesn't necessarily mean they can be successfully exchanged........ This cauliflower "thing" is getting tedious for my taste.
A quick bone to pick with an earlier comment. Couscous is not a grain, it's pasta. So the cauliflower person is actually making a heathier, albeit, very different dish. The beauty of this salad, like so many of Ms. Clark's recipes, is that it can be adapted to suit taste or accessible ingredients. Go @clarkbar!
For those with tree nut allergies, sunflower or pepita seeds work nicely.
Wonderful flavors....the Merguez was just as described. The recipe cooked up about six servings. Charred lemons and juice took it over the top. Delicious.
We eat Keto. I can't wait to try this with cauliflower rice in place of the couscous!
My daughter makes an amazing salad using cauliflower - ground and fried. Although yes, obviously it is a vegetable and not a grain, why not try it if that suits your fancy?! To each their own, and where else do awesome recipes come from but from those who dare to experiment!
Capucine- D'Artagnan makes merguez. Available in some stores or online. It satisfied the French me, and will probably satisfy your French hubby! https://www.dartagnan.com/lamb-merguez-sausage/product/PSAME003-1.html?dwvar_PSAME003-1_freshFrozenWeight=fresh-PSAME003&cgid=gourmet-sausage#start=1
My Morocco-raised French husband is excited to even hear the word merguez come up - he’s demanding I ask where! where! where! we can get some. Anyone know? (He also is incredulous about the couscous. He’s like, non. This recipe is like a tabbouleh. This is not how merguez is eaten. And yes, I shrugged my Californian shoulders at him.)
I can't wait to make this, likely with andouille, or a spicy local pork sausage or hubby's homemade venison sausage. I have no idea where I'd find merguez here unless I made my own. That would be a fun project, too. Combining grilled sausage and veggies with prepared couscous and fresh salad makes this a perfect Memorial Day cookout. Just toss it together when the sausage is cooked and serve. I'd add a cold fresh fruit salad for dessert.
This was exquisite and infinitely modifiable to what’s fresh from the garden and ready to grill. I subbed pearl couscous (a personal preference) and grilled the cherry tomatoes, and it’s perfect warm from the grill or cold for lunch.
As a diabetic with extreme carb sensitivity, cauliflower rice has been a godsend. Sure I’d rather have the couscous, but glad to have an option to let me have a facsimile of this dish.
I would say the riced cauliflower could be lightly steamed to give it a similar texture to couscous. Raw might be too crunchy and strong flavored.
For those wondering where to get merguez, I order mine from D'Artagnan, because I have found no local source here in Greensboro, NC.
Made with quinoa. Don't skimp on the herbs. Fantastic. Merguez is worth finding!
Very nice, nothing exceptional.
Add a splash of red wine vinegar to couscous salad for acid balance.
Delicious. I’ll definitely take this to the next potluck or serve it to guests.
Wholefoods has good Merguez
I made this once as per the recipe, and it was delicious. But I've also cooked the merguez stovetop, and made a Greek salad--cucumber, tomato, green onions, feta, olive oil. This was quicker and delicious as well.
Made this Merguess delight on Sunday and then used the yummy couscous salad leftovers (lamb disappeared) and added farro, more cucumber, calamata olives sliced and halved tomatoes. Adjusted seasoning, added a little dressing. Nicois(sp?) salad on the side with sliced mozz, wonderful.
Do yourself and your tastebuds a favor and top this with caramelized onions.
This was very good. Made as per recipe except substituting veg broth for water in couscous for extra flavour. Guests hoovered it all up.
So delicious. I’m currently in Tunisia where the merguez is incredible. Came on here to look for a recipe. We have couscous all the time but delicious cauliflower is now in season. So we roasted the cauliflower with olive oil and ras el hanout and tossed in the radish herb salad. So yummy. Added some chopped olives. highly recommend!
6/30/22: made again and still awesome. Don't forget the feta.
I'm assuming the grated zest of 1 lemon and/or juice would suffice as a finishing garnish.
Disappointing. Needed more pizazz . Perhaps some black olives and yogurt dressing would help. In the end, it tasted like a Roti takeout meal that hadn’t lived up to its full potential
Half couscous recipe makes a lovely side for four
Delicious. Kids loved as much as parents. We substituted red cabbage for the radishes and used pearled couscous because that's what we had on hand. The pearled couscous probably changed the base texture somewhat — the finished dish was almost creamy — but the fundamental balance of flavors held true. Great meal, easy to riff on.
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