I went to the grocery to buy ingredients for a Greek tabbouleh salad, and while looking for bulgur wheat, my attention was caught by Israeli couscous. Couscous is actually a pasta (not a grain like bulgur), and if there’s one food all kids seem to love, it’s pasta, so I thought it would be an interesting twist for my recipe.
The addition of the toasty beads of couscous to the traditional flavors and textures of a tabbouleh salad, like the creamy tang of feta cheese and crunch of cucumbers, make this a great late-summer salad. It’s simple to prepare and ideal in the lunch box. Just don’t forget to pack a spoon!
1½ cups Israeli couscous
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
2 Persian cucumbers or 1 English cucumber, seeded and diced
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1. Place the couscous and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a pot and toast for 5 minutes over medium heat.
2. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 12 minutes.
3. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside to cool.
4. Add the lemon juice, salt, feta, cucumbers, tomato, parsley, and the 2 remaining tablespoons of olive oil and stir to combine.
DEVORAH: Greek-Israeli Couscous Salad is absolutely delicious and can be easily tailored to fit the needs of more fussy eaters. A very good summer choice, or you can go with a warm dish for winter.