pearl couscous recipe

Mediterranean couscous salad recipe, loaded with nutrition and flavor from chickpeas, veggies, fresh herbs and a zippy lemon-dill vinaigrette. This versatile dish makes a great lunch, light supper, or side depending on what you need.  And you can make it ahead, the flavors deepen the next day. Be sure to watch my video and grab my tips in the post above.

BEST Mediterranean Couscous Salad

lemon, juice of

tsp dill weed

garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper

Pearl Couscous (Israeli Couscous)

Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil

Water

grape tomatoes, halved

red onions

cucumber,

chickpeas,

artichoke hearts, roughly chopped if needed

kalamata olives

basil

baby mozzarella (or feta cheese), optional

To make the lemon-dill vinaigrette, place the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together to combine. Set aside briefly.

In a medium-sized heavy pot, heat two tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the couscous in the olive oil briefly until golden brown. Add 3 cups of boiling water (or the amount instructed on the package), and cook according to package. When ready, drain in a colander. Set aside in a bowl to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients minus the basil and mozzarella. Then add the couscous and the basil and mix together gently.

Now, give the lemon-dill vinaigrette a quick whisk and add it to the couscous salad. Mix again to combine. Test and adjust salt, if needed.

Finally mix in the mozzarella cheese. Garnish with more fresh basil. Enjoy!

Made this last night for the first time.  Delicious!  Even my picky teenager loved it.   I tossed in shredded chicken to make it more of an entree and not a side.  Didn’t need it.  It’s a meal all by itself.  I was worried the couscous was going to have ill effects on my husbands blood sugar.  Wasn’t a problem at all.  It’s a keeper!!

Absolutely delicious! A very satisfying and light meal. I will keep this in my weekly rotation as a quick and healthy lunch! Thank you for the recipe!

Pearl Couscous

Fantastic! I used feta and added some avocado!
Your recipes are absolutely wonderful!

Great recipe.  I used Feta instead of mozzarella.  I also felt like it needed some acidity so I added some white balsamic vinegar.

This is delicious. I’ve also substituted Farro for the Cous Cous for a healthier twist.  So good!!

I've been wanting to make this all winter so I was happy to bring this to a BBQ today. Big hit with everyone and I will definitely make this again.

I did not have pearl couscous, so I used orzo instead. I toasted the orzo in olive oil and threw in a little dried oregano. It was delish!! Will make it again and again!

Good recipe overall. This recipe alone is good, and serves a lot of people. Definitely one of my favorites to introduce to others. What I thought was missing is a lot of other spices. It seemed kind of flavorless other than the olives and artichokes. I added a lot more lemon juice, basil, garlic, cucumber, onion, and my own spices, like turmeric, rosemary, and oregano

I love the salad. Easy to prepair and yammi. I have taken the salad to work and also my work colleges like it a lot. During summer such a nice choice for lunch break boxes. Thanks for the recipe

Great to have in fridge for lunches all week.  I added a splash or two of red wine vinegar and lots of basil along with more lemon juice.  Such fun to eat with all the textures and flavors!!

This recipe is always great! Goes great with lunches. Add some chicken or tuna for protein. I also add arugula and a couple tablespoons of red wine vinaigrette. It's always a crowd pleaser. It is a great go to snack as well, instead of a bag of chips, make a big batch ahead of time, and pour some into a bowl. I've also stuffed a whole wheat pita with this mix. So many choices!

Super easy to make.  I added some pita bread and homemade labneh (using Suzy's recipe) for a light dinner.  A+

Where has Pearl CousCous been all my life? 

This salad is fantastic. I made a batch, served it as a side for dinner, then ate it for lunch myself for 2 days in a row :).  It gets better in the fridge. ....The key to this recipe that makes it so special is that Greek Private Reserve Olive oil.....and a sprinkle each of Aleppo and Za'atar (of which you turned me onto). I used fresh dill because I happen to grow it.

Just saying----I'm a huge fan of your site.  Now I'm able to make dishes I've only enjoyed at restaurants AT HOME. The Chicken Shwarma and Keftedes are on the regular rotation in my home. That tip you gave for skinning garbanzos for hummus was a game changer. And I recently made that Barbari Bread, that has those perfect ridges that collect dips and olive oil so well, and it was so EASY! That bread is a huge favorite at home and for parties.

Our Israeli Couscous recipe is a quick and easy way of making a fast vegan lunch. Learn how to make citrus flavoured Israeli couscous salad with fresh herbs. Our pearl couscous salad recipe takes just 15 minutes to complete.

Israeli Couscous Recipe

pearl couscous

orange,

lemon juice

tsp parsley

olive oil

tsp salt

oregano

lambs lettuce

Citrus Israeli Couscous Salad Recipe 

Make the pearl couscous

Make the pearl couscous according to package instructions. It usually takes up to 10 minutes of cooking time for it to be ready.

Drain the pearl couscous

Drain the pearl couscous and transfer to a bowl. Add the salt, olive oil, lemon juice and parsley and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Cut the oranges into

Cut the oranges into orange wheels. <br />
Transfer the pearl couscous onto two plates. Add the orange wheels and the lamb's lettuce. Add the chilli pepper if using. Scatter with fresh oregano and serve.

How to make Israeli Couscous Recipe

My lamb and couscous pairs tender baharat-spiced meat with fluffy pearl couscous and sautéed vegetables. The ultimate weeknight meal!

Lamb and Couscous Recipe

lamb loin chops (1-inch cubed (See Note 1))

tbsp baharat spice

tsp kosher salt

onion

bell peppers (mixed

tbsp honey

soy sauce

mint

green onions (chopped fine)

In a bowl add lamb, baharat spice and oil, tossing to coat. Let marinate for 15 minutes.

Bring 3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil and add the couscous. Stir and bring back to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes.

Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes until it almost starts to smoke. Add the marinated lamb and separate in pan, leaving room around the pieces. Let sear and caramelize on one side before turning to brown other side.

Add the onion, peppers, honey, soy sauce and dried mint, stirring to mix thoroughly with lamb. Cook for 3 minutes, turn heat to low and cover. Cook for 5 minutes.

Drain couscous of any excess water and add to lamb mixture, stirring to mix thoroughly. Season to taste with salt.

Transfer to serving dish or scoop into bowls and serve with chopped green onion on top.

I started from doubling the recipe and advice everyone to do the same, as it's very delicious!
Also I made my own Baharat mix using one of available recipes, very happy with result also. 
The only question I have if I can incorporate neutral vegetable like zucchini or eggplant to increase vegetable intake? Eggplant seems to be popular in the region. 
Will absolutely explore other recipes, thank you for sharing!

This was so wonderful and flavorful. I am a big fan of lamb and this was delightful. Thanks Kevin for bring all these incredible dishes into my home.

This Pearl Couscous Recipe is a great vegetarian dinner recipe for couscous lovers! Using just 5 main ingredients, this meal is ready in 20 minutes and packs a lot of great Mediterranean flavors!

Pearl Couscous Recipe With Sundried Tomatoes and Pesto

sundried tomato halves, diced

garlic clove,

basil pesto

fresh parsley, chopped

salt

black pepper (alternative red chili flakes

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a...

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a medium pot over medium-high heat. Pour the couscous and stir very well to make sure they’re coated in oil. Stir every 10 seconds to toast the couscous for about 2 minutes.

Carefully add 1 and 1/4 cups of warm...

Carefully add 1 and 1/4 cups of warm water to the toasted couscous, add a pinch of salt, and let it come up to a boil. Now cover with a lid and turn the heat to medium-low allowing the couscous to gently simmer and cook for 8 minutes.

While that’s going, set a skillet over medium-high...

While that’s going, set a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil from the sundried tomato jar. Add the chopped sundried tomatoes to the skillet to sautee for 1 minute. Add the chopped garlic to sautee till slightly golden and fragrant. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

Add basil pesto to the skillet with black...

Add basil pesto to the skillet with black pepper and a pinch of salt. Turn the heat off completely and stir.

Once the couscous is cooked, scoop it out...

Once the couscous is cooked, scoop it out directly into the skillet and combine everything. Check for pepper and salt and adjust accordingly.

Top 5 pearl couscous recipe recipes from across the web

The most viewed pearl couscous recipe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

BEST Mediterranean Couscous Salad

BEST Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Israeli Couscous Recipe

Lamb and Couscous Recipe

Pearl Couscous Recipe With Sundried...

Top 5 pearl couscous recipe recipes from across the web

The most viewed pearl couscous recipe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

BEST Mediterranean Couscous Salad

BEST Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Israeli Couscous Recipe

Lamb and Couscous Recipe

Pearl Couscous Recipe With Sundried...

The most viewed pearl couscous recipe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine