Pearl couscous sounds like it’s some sort of grain; it looks like one. It’s actually a type of pasta. As you’ll see in the photos below, pearl couscous consists of little pasta balls that are made of semolina flour, which is made from durum wheat. Whenever I make a couscous dish, I always toast the pasta in olive oil before I begin anything else. It adds such a wonderful extra nutty flavor to the already somewhat nutty flavor.
Pearl couscous goes by a few different names; Moghrabieh, Maftoul, Israeli, Ptitim, and Pearl. There may be slight differences in each variety, but in general, they’re quite similar. Sometimes the name of the couscous depends on where you are in the world. In the U.S., it’s common to find either Israeli and Pearl.
For today’s recipe, I decided to prepare a simple, yet outstandingly delicious vegetarian couscous salad. Check it out below.
The Recipe
This is one of those hearty salads that you can put together with minimal effort. The ingredients might be on the pricier side of things; perhaps more than you’re used to for a salad. This is because you’ll be using the good stuff; feta cheese, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts (or walnuts), extra-virgin olive oil. As for the couscous itself, I buy the Bob’s Red Mill brand because that’s what I can get my hands on easily. It really doesn’t matter the brand, so use what you can find. It’s relatively inexpensive. At the time of this writing, I paid $3.49 per pound.
Overall, this is an excellent salad. It’s easy to make and it’s very tasty. It’d be perfect to share with BBQ guests during the summer months. Better yet, during the end of the growing season because the spinach, basil, and tomatoes will be plentiful.
I’d like to thank America’s Test Kitchen for inspiring me to prepare this wonderful dish. I pulled the recipe from their The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook. I changed up a few things, but I got the general idea from them. The Test Kitchen is incredible. They’ve put out some awesome cookbooks through the years and I’m not sure I’ve ever had a bad experience with one of their recipes. They know their stuff!
Ingredients
Serves: 6
1/2 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Cups Pearl Couscous
2 1/2 Cups Water
1 Teaspoon Salt, Divided
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, Divided
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
12 Ounces Grape Tomatoes, Halved
2 Cups Baby Spinach, Coarsely Chopped
1 1/2 Cups Fresh Basil, Coarsely Chopped
3/4 Cup Feta Cheese, (or Ricotta Salata Cheese), Crumbled
1/2 Cup Kalamata Olives, Pitted & Sliced
1/2 Cup Pine Nuts, (or Walnuts, Crumbled), Toasted
1/4 Cup Fresh Chives, Chopped
Prepare the Couscous
Warm a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Add one tablespoon olive oil to it and then add the couscous. Stir frequently for about five minutes. During this time, you should begin to smell the couscous toasting. After five minutes, add in the 2 1/2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Increase the heat to high until the water comes to a boil. Then, cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the couscous to cook for about 10 minutes. At that point, taste it. It should be al dente and it should have absorbed all of the liquid. You may need to cook a few minutes longer if it needs it. When ready, turn off the heat and stir the couscous to loosen it up. After that, spread the couscous out on a baking sheet until it’s completely cooled down. Probably around 15 minutes or so.
Prepare the Dressing
In a medium size bowl, add the vinegar, mustard, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, the 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the remaining olive oil. Whisk these ingredients together well.
Combine Ingredients & Serve
In a large bowl, add the couscous, dressing, tomatoes, spinach, basil, cheese, olives, nuts, and chives (basically everything). Toss the salad well. Season with salt and pepper to taste if you’d like.
Divide between bowls and serve. Enjoy!
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