Israeli couscous: something you can get away with calling a grain, when really it’s just another way to eat pasta. What’s better than that? My particular favorite is the Harvest Grains Blend from Trader Joe’s, which has quinoa and baby garbanzos in the mix. It’s slightly healthier, but if I’m being honest, I just like that it’s more colorful. Add pink pickled shallots, green vegetables and tons of herbs and you’ve got yourself a very pretty dish. A good splash of lemon juice makes it summer in a bowl.
Serves 6-8.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Israeli couscous (suggest Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend)
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 cup diced Persian cucumbers
- 1 cup diced sugar snap peas
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts
- 10 ounces Greek feta (the whole piece, not the crumbles), cut into ¼ inch cubes
- ¼ cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup chopped mint, plus more for garnish
- salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup good extra-virgin olive oil
Method
Cook the Israeli couscous per package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and spread out to cool completely.
In a small bowl, combine the shallot and half of the lemon juice with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Add the cucumbers, sugar snap peas, nuts, cheese and herbs to the couscous. Season with salt, pepper and the shallot-lemon juice mixture. Toss to combine. Feel free to do everything up until this point a few hours in advance.
Just before plating, add the remaining lemon juice and olive oil. Toss again. Top with more fresh herbs, and serve.
