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Spring Couscous Salad

A delightful blend of pearl couscous, fresh veggies, herbs, and crunchy pistachios, celebrating the flavors of spring.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Vegan
Calories: 250
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Couscous & Base
  • 1 cup pearl couscous (160 g)
  • 1 cup English peas (135 g, blanched)
  • 1 cup arugula roughly chopped
Herbs & Flavorings
  • 1/2 (75 g) small red onion thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed parsley finely minced (10 g)
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed mint finely minced (10 g)
  • 3 cloves garlic minced (16 g)
  • 2-3 tsp za’atar use 2 tsp for milder flavor
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
Oils & Acids
  • 4 tbsp lemon juice (35 g)
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 4 tbsp olive oil (45 g)
Crunchy Topping
  • 1/2 cup roasted pistachios roughly chopped
  • sumac for serving

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Bring salted water to boil. Add the English peas for 1 1/2 minutes, then drain and set aside.
  2. In the same pot, pour in the couscous with 1 1/2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, partially cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Let it rest off the heat for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the sliced red onion with lemon juice, zest, and salt. Toss and let it sit to marinate.
Assembly
  1. Stir in the arugula, along with the cooked couscous, herbs, and roasted pistachios.
  2. In the pot, heat olive oil over medium heat, adding in minced garlic until it softens and just begins to brown. Off the heat, mix in za’atar, cumin, and kosher salt.
  3. Pour the garlic mixture over the couscous salad and toss gently until well combined. Adjust seasoning with sumac and additional salt as desired.

Notes

For perfectly blanched peas, submerge them in boiling water for exactly 1 1/2 minutes. To enhance the flavor of couscous, sauté it briefly in olive oil before adding water.