Cold Chicken Couscous

To prepare the cold chicken couscous, start by making the vegetable broth (we recommend preparing about 10.5 ounces, considering you'll need it both for the couscous and for cooking the vegetables). Then trim and peel the carrots 1, cut them into strips and then into small dice 2; wash and trim the zucchini as well, then dice them into pieces of the same size as the carrots 3.

Move on to the bell pepper: remove the stem, then slice it in half and remove the core 4 and seeds; cut it into strips, then dice it into pieces of the same size 5. Peel and finely slice the shallot 6; set the vegetables aside for a moment.

Move on to the chicken: cut the breast into strips 7 and then into dice about 3/4 inch thick 8; heat a pan with a drizzle of olive oil and then add the chicken 9;

season with salt, pepper, and sweet paprika 10; cook, stirring frequently, for about 5-7 minutes, until a nice golden crust forms. Once ready, set the chicken aside 11 and in the same pan with the chicken cooking base, add the shallot 12

add the carrots and bell peppers as well 13, and stew for 4 minutes over high heat, adding one or two ladles of vegetable broth to aid the cooking 14; then add the zucchini and peas 15 and cook the vegetables for another 4 minutes or so, adding vegetable broth as needed. The vegetables should soften but not fall apart.

Meanwhile, prepare the couscous: in the bowl with the couscous, add a pinch of salt 16, the oil 17, and enough boiling vegetable broth to cover it 18.

Cover with plastic wrap and let the couscous puff up: it will take about 5 minutes. Once the vegetables are cooked and cooled 20, add them to the bowl, along with the cooled chicken 21

then add the couscous, which will have puffed up in the meantime 22; season with the zest of an untreated lemon 23 to give the dish freshness. Your cold chicken couscous is ready to be served 24!