Spring Israeli (Pearl) Couscous Salad

Creamy, chewy, crunchy and fresh, this spring salad makes the perfect side dish or base for a meal.

While this looks like a fresh produce-inspired dish, this salad actually got its start from a pantry clean out. We are preparing to move, and our beloved walk-in pantry is just too well stocked. I was going through the pasta/grains shelf of the pantry and found just 1 cup of dried Israeli couscous. Perfect, I thought. I’ll figure out something for dinner and use up one container at the same time.

At the same time that we are packing and working inside, the weather outside here in the Carolinas is gorgeous!! Pollen-y, but gorgeous. Thus, I found myself wanting something more fresh and summery, not roasted and wintery. So here you have the result!

What You Need:

Pearl/Israeli couscous

Fresh veggies (I used corn, tomatoes, cucumber, and onion, since that is what I had in the crisper!)

Feta (a must-have!)

Dressing of choice, or just salt and pepper.

Let’s Make It

Cook the couscous according to the package. Drain and rinse with cool water.

Dice chosen veggies and toss everything together! Be sure to crumble a lot of feta — this is what helps give the salad its creamy texture. I like using a big block of feta — it always seems to be creamier than the pre-crumbled kind, but either would certainly work.

Dress/season the salad! When I first made this, I added a few Tablespoons of green sauce to half of it. I thought it would go well, and it did! However, my kiddos don’t like anything remotely spicy, so I left half of it plain. Turns out, the plain salad was JUST as good. I didn’t even add salt and pepper, although it would not hurt, nor would a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, or other dressing. I added enough feta that it was salty enough for our tastes.

We paired this the first night with delicious grilled chicken breast, but it would also be delicious with shrimp, scallops, or any other protein. I ate the leftovers straight from the fridge for lunch the following day, so I can attest that it is just as delicious and satisfying without adding any meat.