Mediterranean Pearled Couscous Salad
Serves 8, as a side dish
1¾ cup, about 8.8 ounces, of pearled couscous (also called Israeli couscous)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
10-15 cherry tomatoes, cut into eighths or sixteenths (i.e. you want the pieces small)
2 English cucumbers, diced
¼ cup red onion, diced
5-8 olives (I prefer black olives, but it’s up to you which ones you pick), cut into eighths or sixteenths (i.e. you want the pieces small)
1 large handful fresh arugula, coarsely chopped
2-3 sun-dried tomatoes, in oil, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon oil from sun-dried tomatoes; if you don’t have sun-dried tomatoes, in oil, or don’t have enough of this oil, replace with the same amount of olive oil
2 tablespoons dried cranberries or raisin, coarsely chopped
⅛ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and pepper
Cook the pearled couscous according to the packaging. Make sure you cook them al dente as you want them to have a bite to them, rather than have them be mushy.
Add the cooked pearled couscous to a large mixing bowl, drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over top, and mix together. As you continue with the next few steps, continually mix up the pearled couscous to help them cool. You want to make sure the pearled couscous has cooled before adding the other ingredients or the veggies will start to cook, the arugula will wilt, and the cheese will melt.
Once the pearled couscous has cooled, add all of the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix everything together well. Add an initial ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper and mix together. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preferences.
Feel free to adjust the amount of veggies, cranberries or raisins, and feta, to your preference. I’m a big fan of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions, so I usually add a bit more to mine.
FYI, this dish is usually best if it has had time to sit for at least 30-60 minutes. The flavors will have had time to blend and mix, and it allows time for the red onions to soften up, but still maintain their bite.
Enjoy!
