Pearl Couscous Salad

4.6
(26)
20 Reviews
9 Photos

Pearl couscous is great to use in a hearty salad like this one which is a take on a pricey deli grain salad that my family loves. It is much more affordable to make it at home so we can enjoy it more often.

Submitted by Susan
Updated on November 21, 2024
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Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
40 mins
Additional Time:
8 hrs
Total Time:
9 hrs
Servings:
6
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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 6 servings

Couscous:

  • 5 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 cups pearl (Israeli) couscous

  • 2 ½ cups water

Lentils:

  • ½ cup French lentils

Salad:

  • 2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, diced

  • 1 small cucumber, seeded and diced

  • 1 red bell pepper, diced

  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries

  • 1/2 cup golden raisins or sultanas

  • 1/3 cup diced red onion

  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh chives (Optional)

  • 1 green onion, thinly sliced

  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, or more to taste

  • 1 teaspoon ground sumac (Optional)

Dressing:

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 2 lemons, juiced

  • 2 tablespoons honey, or more to taste

  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. To make couscous: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir couscous in hot oil until toasted and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in water and bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until couscous is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse couscous under cold water in a colander, then transfer to a large serving bowl. Stir in remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil until well coated.

  2. Place lentils in a small pan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and rinse lentils under cold water in a colander; add to couscous.

  3. To make the salad: Add tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, cranberries, raisins, red onion, chives, green onion, parsley, and sumac to couscous-lentil mixture.

  4. To make the dressing: Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until well combined.

  5. Pour dressing over salad; stir until coated. Let chill in the refrigerator until flavors blend, 8 hours to overnight.

Cook’s Note

You can adjust the sweetness of the dressing to your liking. I prefer it a bit tart, while my kids like it a bit sweeter.

You can store the salad in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a week.

55 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

560 Calories
21g Fat
82g Carbs
13g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 560
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 21g 27%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Sodium 43mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 82g 30%
Dietary Fiber 10g 35%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 13g 25%
Vitamin C 34mg 38%
Calcium 53mg 4%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 511mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.