Original Creations

Toasted Israeli Couscous Salad with Roasted Vegetables

March 18, 2018 /

Couscous is a Mediterranean staple that can stand on its own, be paired as a side for various chicken, fish, or plant-based dishes, made into salads, and even used in soups or stews.

There are a few variations of Couscous to choose from and depending on the recipe, certain types will work better than others. Moroccan Couscous (tiny granules) and Israeli Couscous (larger “pearls”) are the two most common. 

This recipe features one of my favorite preparations, which is toasted and used as the base for a simple and delicious side salad. Adding sweet roasted vegetables brings a depth of flavor, which the couscous needs since it does not have a strong taste of its own.

Personally, I prefer the texture of Israeli Couscous over Moroccan, so I tend to use that more often. Lightly toasting the pearls in a frying pan before boiling them is a key step to making sure the Couscous packs a ton of nutty flavor. This recipe will become one of your “go to” side dishes since it goes so well on any menu year round. 

Toasted Israeli Couscous Salad with Roasted Vegetables
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Ingredients
  1. 2 Cups Israeli "Pearl" Couscous (toasted)
  2. 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  3. 6 Stalks of Asparagus
  4. 1 Red Bell Pepper
  5. 1/2 Purple Onion
  6. 1 Zucchini
  7. 1 Yellow Squash
  8. 1 Baby Italian Eggplant
  9. 1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley
  10. Salt & Pepper (to taste)
TOASTED COUSCOUS
  1. Heat Olive Oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add Couscous to the pan and lightly toast until golden brown- stirring often to prevent it from burning. While couscous is cooking, boil a pot of water according to package instructions (typically 1 1/4 cups of water for each cup of couscous). Once water has boiled, add 1/2 tsp of salt and toasted Couscous Pearls. Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the water has been soaked up and the pearls are "al dente." Remove from heat and set aside. Once cooled, toss with chopped parsley, salt, and pepper.
ROASTED VEGETABLES
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roughly chop the asparagus, bell pepper, zucchini, squash, onion, & eggplant into bite sized pieces and lay flat on a parchment paper lined sheet tray. Toss with extra virgin olive oil and put into oven for approximately 20-25 minutes- until the vegetables are cooked through and have a light caramelization on them from the oven (stirring once halfway through).
  2. Add roasted vegetables and cooked Couscous to a mixing bowl and toss together. Platter and serve.
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