Asian-Inspired Pearled Couscous Salad
Serves 4
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon champagne vinegar
¼ teaspoon chili oil
½ teaspoon gochujang chili paste
¼ teaspoon red curry paste
1 tablespoon honey
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons jalapeno, minced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup uncooked pearled couscous (also called Israeli couscous), cooked according to its packaging
3 tablespoons cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, or 2 medium carrots, shredded
¼ cup red cabbage, shredded
⅓ cup arugula, coarsely chopped
1 chorizo, with casing removed (optional)
½ red onion
Sesame seeds, for garnish
In a medium saucepan, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, champagne vinegar, chili oil, gochujang chili paste, red curry paste, and honey. Set over low-medium heat and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the garlic, 1 tablespoon jalapeno, green onions, and cilantro. Mix the sauce together and set aside.
Start cooking your pearled couscous. As that is cooking, in a medium bowl, combine the shredded carrots and red cabbage, 1 tablespoon jalapeno, and arugula. Mix everything till combined.
If you’re using a chorizo, add it to a small pan, over medium heat, along with the red onions and sauté everything. The onions will be sautéed in the fat rendered from the chorizo.
If you’re not using chorizo, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and sauté the onions until they start to turn glassy, about 3-4 minutes.
Break up the chorizo as you go along and keep mixing the onions so that everything sautés evenly. Once the chorizo is fully cooked, remove from the heat and pour everything from the pan into the bowl of veggies, fat included. Pour in the soy sauce dressing to the bowl of veggies, as well, and give everything a good mix so that the sauce covers everything.
Once the pearled couscous is done, let it cool. Once cooled, add it to the bowl of veggies and combine everything. Taste and season to your preferences. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Enjoy!