Bright with color and flavor, this classic dish is easy to make and is full of nutritious crisp veggies. Experiment with different sizes of large couscous and vary the veggies to your taste, but make sure they are crisp and fresh. A splash lemon juice added just before serving only improves the flavor. And don’t skip the fresh flat-leaf parsley! It’s vital to the flavor of the dish.
Isareli Couscous and Veggies
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4-6 servings
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Israeli or Middle Eastern couscous (large grains)
- 2 (or more) cups water
- 1 cup pitted and sliced Kalamata olives
- 1 cup chopped (jarred) pepperoncini, stems removed
- 2 cups chopped green pepper
- ¾ lb. cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 4 cups chopped seedless or small Kirby cucumbers (unpeeled)
- 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts (not in oil, drained)
- 2 cups roughly chopped flat leaf Italian parsley (leaves only)
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Chop the ingredients in bite-sized pieces, not small fine pieces. It should have a “chunky” look.
Toast the couscous in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the couscous emits a nice toasted aroma and begins to darken slightly. Add the water carefully (it will splash and steam when it hits the heated pot) and stir well. Simmer the couscous for 15 minutes or more until it is tender but not mushy. You may have to add a bit more water if the couscous is very large. Drain the couscous and rinse it with cool water.
In a very large bowl, mix all the vegetables and the parsley well. Add the drained couscous and stir well. Add the olive oil, the vinegar, a few grinds of black pepper and about 2 tsp. of salt. Mix well again and taste for seasoning. The olives and pepperoncini may have added salt and vinegar to the salad, so be careful not to over-salt the salad. Just before serving, sprinkle the oregano over the salad and mix again.
Notes
Tips: If you have olives with pits, use a cherry pitter to remove the pits. If you only have cucumbers with dark green skins and seeds, peel and seed the cucumbers.
Courses sides/salads
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