Amaze balls: Pea & pearl couscous salad

Add these healthy salads to your repertoire. Packed with flavour, they’re sure to become a midweek staple.

Pearl couscous is larger than regular couscous and has a slightly chewy texture and a nutty flavour. Quinoa looks like a grain but is actually a seed. Both make great salads.

PEA & PEARL COUSCOUS SALAD

150g sugar snap peas, sliced lengthways

½ cup fresh or frozen peas

250g pearl couscous

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

2 spring onions, finely sliced

2 tablespoons torn fresh basil

175g feta cheese, crumbled

50g pine nuts, lightly toasted

Handful baby spinach leaves

Cook both pea varieties in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes; drain and set aside. Cook pearl couscous according to packet instructions until tender. Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil with lemon juice and chopped onion. Drain couscous and mix with oil and lemon juice mixture. Allow to cool then combine peas, couscous, zucchini, spring onion and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with feta, pine nuts and spinach, and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Serves 2 as main course or 4 as a side dish

MIDDLE EASTERN QUINOA SALAD

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well

1 teaspoon ground sumac

1 Lebanese cucumber, diced

1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

Juice ½ lemon

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¾ cup plain yoghurt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, extra

1 clove garlic, crushed

Cook quinoa according to packet instructions. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; when cool, sprinkle with sumac and add to a bowl with cucumber, tomatoes, herbs and spring onions. Mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze over lemon juice; drizzle with olive oil. Make yoghurt dressing by combining yoghurt, chopped extra mint and crushed garlic. Serve with salad. Serves 4 as a side dish