Gordon Ramsay’s couscous salad is a North African-inspired dish made with fluffy couscous, roasted red and green peppers, squeezed roasted garlic, cherry tomatoes, cumin and fresh cilantro (coriander). It serves 4 to 6 and takes about 30 minutes.
This recipe comes from Gordon Ramsay: Make It Easy, where he serves it as a bed under marinated BBQ chicken wings. The couscous salad works just as well on its own or alongside grilled lamb, fish or roasted vegetables.
The technique that makes this work: he roasts whole garlic cloves in their skins until soft, then squeezes the pulp directly into the couscous. Raw garlic would overpower the grains, but roasted garlic melts through them and adds a mellow sweetness that ties the peppers and cumin together.
Gordon Ramsay Couscous Salad Recipe
Course: SaladsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4-6
10
minutes20
307
kcal30
Fluffy couscous with roasted peppers, squeezed roasted garlic, cherry tomatoes, cumin and coriander, from Gordon Ramsay: Make It Easy. He forks through the couscous every 5 minutes while it steams, which keeps each grain separate instead of clumping.
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups (200g) couscous
2 red peppers (bell peppers), whole
2 green peppers (bell peppers), whole
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
9 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp ground cumin
4.2 oz (120g) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large handful of fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon, skins reserved
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Roast the peppers and garlic: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C/Gas 6). Toss the whole peppers and unpeeled garlic cloves with 4 tablespoons of olive oil on a baking tray. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes until the skins are scorched and wrinkled. Leave to cool on the tray.
- Steam the couscous: Pour the couscous into a bowl and add 3/4 cup (200ml) boiling water. Stir with a fork, then leave to stand for 20 minutes, forking through every 5 minutes to keep the grains separate and fluffy. This step is what stops it turning into a dense, sticky lump.
- Season the couscous: Sprinkle in the cumin and add the remaining olive oil and lemon juice. Fork through again, seasoning well with salt and pepper.
- Prep the peppers and garlic: Peel the roasted peppers, tear open, remove the seeds and chop the flesh. Squeeze the soft pulp from the garlic skins.
- Assemble and serve: Mix the roasted garlic, chopped peppers, halved cherry tomatoes and coriander into the couscous. Adjust seasoning and serve.
FAQs
Why roast the garlic in its skin?
The skin acts as a protective shell that steams the garlic from the inside. After 15 to 20 minutes the cloves turn soft enough to squeeze out like paste. In Make It Easy, Ramsay mixes this pulp directly into the couscous where it dissolves into the grains rather than sitting in raw chunks.
Why fork the couscous every 5 minutes?
Couscous grains stick together as they absorb water. Forking through every 5 minutes during the 20 minute resting time breaks up clumps before they set. Ramsay is specific about this in Make It Easy because skipping it gives you a dense block instead of light, separate grains.
What is the difference between using water and stock?
This Make It Easy recipe uses boiling water, which keeps the couscous neutral so the roasted peppers and cumin come through. His Ramsay in 10 version uses boiling vegetable stock instead, which adds a savoury base layer. Stock works better when the couscous has fewer toppings. Water works better here because the roasted vegetables and garlic provide enough flavour on their own.
Can you add protein to this?
Ramsay serves this under BBQ chicken wings marinated in lemon, chilli and olive oil in Make It Easy. His Ramsay in 10 pairs herby couscous with harissa grilled lamb neck instead. Both work because the couscous absorbs the meat juices as you eat. Grilled fish or roasted chickpeas are solid vegetarian alternatives.
Can you make this ahead?
Yes. Couscous salad holds better than leaf-based salads because the grains don’t wilt. Make everything, toss together and refrigerate for up to a day. Add the fresh coriander just before serving so it doesn’t go dark and soggy overnight.
I’m Ava Taylor. I’m A Self-taught Home Cook Who Loves Gordon Ramsay Recipes. I Try Every Dish In My Small Apartment Kitchen And Tweak It Until It Works. I Write Clear Steps With Simple Words So Anyone Can Follow. I Share Honest Wins, Mistakes, And Quick Tips To Help You Cook With Confidence.