Recipe: Pearl Couscous Salad

Pearl couscous, also known as Israeli couscous or ptitim, is a toasted pasta shaped like pearls. I never heard of it before coming to the US, seeing it at the salad bars or on TV, cooked in Iron Chef. I was more used to the couscous semolina that has a totally different taste and is used for taboule.

So, here is an easy recipe to make a Pearl Couscous Salad that I hope you will, like me, find delicious!



For 2 servings:
- 1/2 cup of pearl couscous
- 2 tomatoes
- 0.25 lb of feta cheese
- 20 to 30 manzanilla pitted olives
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 tablespoon of garlic
- 2 table spoons of olive oil
- raisins

In a saucepan, put the garlic, olive oil, cumin and pearl couscous on medium heat. Toast the pasta until golden. Then add 3/4 of water, salt and cook until the water is fully absorbed for approx. 9 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Cut the tomatoes, olives and feta into small cubes of similar size. Put them in a salad bowl with 1/4 of a cup of raisins. Add vinegar, olive oil and a pinch of salt. Let the raisins soak for 10 minutes.
Add the pearl couscous to the bowl and mix. Refrigerate and eat cold. Et voila!

Note: after 30 minutes, mix again in the bowl as the couscous tends to stick all together.

Bon appétit!

Do not hesitate to let me know what you think about this recipe by posting a comment!

And remember: I just want to eat!