Israeli Couscous Salad with Pickled Onions, Peas, Pistachios and Feta
With the wind chill, it was in the teens around here yesterday, but you’d never know it from the fare coming out of my kitchen. Just look at this Israeli Couscous Salad! Doesn’t it scream warm weather to you?!! My logic? If you cook it, it will come!
Honestly, though, I’d be happy to eat this extremely flavorful, off-the-beaten-path pasta salad anytime of the year. There are just so many elements to love!
First off—Israeli couscous. Think of it as ordinary couscous on steroids. Lol!
The individual grains are way bigger, more like little balls—they’re often referred to as “pasta pearls” and they have a lovely chewy texture and a rich, toasted flavor. I was first exposed to them about 5 years ago when I made this and now I’m always on the hunt for ways to use them. In this versatile and very customizable salad they provide the perfect earthy, starchy base to balance out all the veggies, cheese, nuts and lemony vinaigrette.
Next up are the pickled onions. We love them! It only takes a few minutes to whip up a batch, so I make them make them all the time to add to tacos, sandwiches and rice bowls, but I’ve never thought to use them in a pasta salad before and I’m kicking myself. They add so much color, flavor and crunch!
Now let’t talk about more things that start with the letter “P”, shall we? Namely, peas, parsley and pistachios. Yup, they’re in there too. So are radishes and feta, and even though they don’t start with the same letter, they’re a very welcome addition!
Rounding everything out is a super simple lemony vinaigrette that keeps everything light and brings all the elements together.
I promise you’re gonna love every bite! And be making this on repeat for all your backyard bbq’s, picnics and outdoor get-togethers.
If the weather ever decides to cooperate…😘
Israeli Couscous Salad with Pickled Onions, Peas, Pistachios and Feta
Makes at least 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the couscous
2 cups Israeli couscous
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 ½ cups water
Large pinch of salt
For the salad
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 cup pickled onions, store-bought or homemade
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Large handful fresh parsley, chopped
4-5 radishes, sliced
½ cup roasted, unsalted pistachios
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
Kosher salt and black pepper
The Recipe
1. To make the couscous: Heat the oil and couscous in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often for 6-7 minutes until most of the couscous is golden brown. Stir in the water and salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and cover so that it simmers, stirring every so often, until all the water is absorbed, 9-12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Feel free to make this the day before and keep it covered and chilled until ready to use. If you are making this the same day as the salad, spread the couscous out on a baking sheet to allow it to cool quickly.
2. To make the salad: In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add in the cooled couscous, the pickled onions, thawed peas, radishes, most of the pistachios and most of the feta. Toss well to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper. Top with the remaining pistachios and feta for serving.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Cook’s Illustrated. I kind of just used this as a jumping off point and tinkered a lot with this one. Feel free to make it your own—it would be great with lots of different veggies, nuts, cheese. It’s pretty light on the dressing—I sort of doubled the proportions, so if you like more liquid, you could definitely add more of the vinaigrette.
