Green Cucumber Vegetable

Ingredients

• 1000 g smoked cucumber
• 1 bulb fennel
• 100 g celery stalks (2 thin sticks)
• 150 g leek (1 stalk)
• 50 g unpeeled almond kernels
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 125 ml classic vegetable broth
• 1 Garlic clove
• 170 g couscous
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• Salt
• 5 basil stems

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash, peel, halve cucumbers lengthwise, pit with a teaspoon and slice crosswise into 1 cm thick rounds.

2. 2.

   Wash fennel and celery, set aside the greens. Trim fennel, halve and cut into strips.

3. 3.

   Trim celery, optionally de-stem, and slice crosswise into thin ribbons.

4. 4.

   Halve leek lengthwise, wash, trim, and cut into about 1 cm wide rings.

5. 5.

   Chop almonds and toast them in a dry pan until golden brown. Transfer to a small plate and let cool.

6. 6.

   Heat olive oil in a large skillet, sauté celery and cucumbers. Add broth, fennel, and leek. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

7. 7.

   Meanwhile, peel garlic and press into a pot. Add couscous, chili flakes, and 300 ml water. Boil, then cover and simmer for 2 minutes on low heat.

8. 8.

   Season couscous with salt, cover, and let it sit on the turned-off stove for 5 minutes to absorb moisture. Chop fennel and celery greens and fold in.

9. 9.

   Wash basil, shake dry, pluck leaves, and finely chop.

10. 10.

    Fold almonds into the couscous, season the vegetables with salt, plate both together, garnish with basil, and serve.