This easy to make recipe is a perfect, full-of-flavour side dish for a BBQ or as an accompaniment to a weeknight protein. It has all the wonderful flavours of the Mediterranean with cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives and sweet camerlised balsamic vinegar.

INGREDIENTS: 

• 2 punnets cherry tomatos 500g

• 1 Red onion

• Olive oil

• 1 tbsp camerlised balsamic vinegar

• 2 cups Israeli Couscous

• 2 cups boiling water

• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives

• 1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped

• 1 tbsp butter

• Sea salt

• Cracked pepper

METHOD:

1. Pre heat the oven to 180°

2. Add the whole cherry tomatoes along with the red onion sliced into 1cm wide wedges into a small baking dish. Drizzle over the top with olive oil and the caramelised balsamic vinegar. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until the skins are splitting and the red onion is caramelised.

3. Meanwhile the couscous can be made: add the couscous and boiling water to a medium saucepan, simmer for 6-7 minutes with the lid left ajar. Take it off the heat, add the butter and leave it to sit for 5 minutes with the lid left on. Once the liquid has evaporated add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Using a fork, fluff up the couscous.

4. In a large serving bowl combine the couscous, roasted tomatoes, onions and all of the flavourful baking juices (this is where all the flavour is!). Then, add the parsley and the kalamata olives. Gently toss to combine, being careful not to break up the tomatoes too much.

5. Serve warm straight away with an extra drizzle of camerlised balsamic vinegar.

N.B.: This dish also works well chilled if you need to prepare ahead of time.

Serve: 4 people

Prep time: 15-20 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Recipe and photography by Bonnie Coumbe. See her site here & Instagram here.