Israeli Couscous Salad with Feta and Fresh Herbs

Israeli couscous provides the perfect base for fresh, flavorful pasta salads, and it’s a cinch to cook. Add it to boiling broth or water, simmer about 8 minutes, let it cool, you’re done.

The Israeli variety is larger than North African or European couscous, more like little pearl-sized balls. Its texture is wonderfully dense and chewy because Israeli couscous is toasted, not dried. Leftovers eaten cold or even warmed up the next day still retain a firm, chewy texture—not mushy like other varieties may become.

Israeli Couscous

Here, I paired the couscous with a few fresh vegetables, lots of fresh herbs, and salty crumbles of feta cheese for a flavorful, nutritious salad that may be served as a dinner side dish or a light, refreshing lunch on its own.

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups chicken broth            
• 3/4 cup Israeli couscous
• 2/3 cup lengthwise-quartered grape tomatoes
• 1/3 cup chopped seedless cucumber
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tbsp  chopped red onion
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 tsp chopped chives
• 1 tsp chopped fresh mint
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil, for serving

Salad Ingredients

Preparation

1. Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan. Add the couscous, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, fluff, and cool to room temperature.
2. Add the tomatoes and next 8 ingredients (through mint) and season with salt and pepper.

Couscous Added to Broth 

Cooked Couscous 

Let the Couscous Cool

Serve at room temperature or cover and chill in the refrigerator before serving. Pass extra virgin olive oil at the table for drizzling over individual servings.

Israeli Couscous Salad with Feta and Fresh Herbs