pearl couscous salad
Soups & Salads
Pearl Couscous Salad
This pearl couscous recipe makes a great couscous salad with tomatoes and a bright lemon dressing that tastes just as good as a pricey deli salad I used to buy! My family loves this and it's much more affordable to make it at home.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups pearl (israeli) couscous
- 2 ½ cups water
- ½ cup french lentils
- 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
- 1 small cucumber, seeded and diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup golden raisins or sultanas
- 1/3 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh chives (optional)
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground sumac (optional)
- dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 2 tablespoons honey, or more to taste
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- To make couscous: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir couscous in hot oil until toasted and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in water and bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until couscous is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse couscous under cold water in a colander, then transfer to a large serving bowl. Stir in remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil until well coated.
- Place lentils in a small pan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and rinse lentils under cold water in a colander; add to couscous.
- To make the salad: Add tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, cranberries, raisins, red onion, chives, green onion, parsley, and sumac to couscous mixture.
- To make the dressing: Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until well combined.
- Pour dressing over salad; stir until coated. Chill in the refrigerator until flavors blend before serving.
