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Monday, February 17, 2025

Pesto Couscous Salad – House Grown Happiness


This contemporary and vibrant pesto couscous salad makes use of basil pesto to carry a scrumptious taste. It is tossed with pearl couscous, cherry tomatoes, contemporary mozzarella, pine nuts, and lemon.

close up of chopped tomatoes and basil and couscous.

Pearl couscous, or Israeli couscous, is a flexible grain-like pasta that lends itself completely to salads. It has a novel, nice al-dente texture that pairs superbly with vibrant, contemporary flavors like pesto.

I’ve added contemporary cherry tomatoes to carry bursts of juicy taste and contemporary lemon zest and juicy to brighten it much more. There are additionally contemporary bocconcini items and toasted pine nuts combined all through. It is an easy-to-prepare dish full of taste. 

side view of salad.

Elements

This is what you may want for this pesto Israeli Couscous Salad. Discover the ingredient quantities listed within the printable recipe card on the backside of this submit.

  • Pearl couscous – It is truly a kind of pasta manufactured from semolina flour, that, when cooked, swells up into plump al dente grains. You can see it in most grocery shops or bulk meals shops. I choose the bigger couscous over common couscous for this recipe.
  • Cherry tomatoes – Or common tomatoes chopped into bite-sized items.
  • Recent mozzarella cheese – Recent, creamy mozzarella is available in many kinds. You should use cow’s milk mozzarella or buffalo mozzarella, however guarantee it is the contemporary stuff that is saved in whey. 
  • Basil pesto – ​Recent and vibrant basil pesto is a key ingredient. You should use store-bought or make your individual.
  • Toasted pine nuts – ​Add just a little crunch
  • Recent Lemon – Each the lemon juice and lemon zest are used.
  • Salt and pepper ​- To style.
  • Recent Basil

Methodology

Add the dry couscous to a big saucepan together with a drizzle of olive oil and gently toast it over medium warmth for a minute. Pour over chilly water. Let the water come to a simmer, then flip the warmth all the way down to low and prepare dinner till the pearl couscous has absorbed the surplus water.

fork stirring pearl couscous.

It ought to nonetheless have a barely agency chew to it. Break it up with a fork, add it to a big bowl, and depart it to chill to room temperature.

pesto on mozzerella.

Reduce the cherry tomatoes in half on a reducing board, and tear the contemporary mozzarella into small items. Add these to the cooled couscous. Dollop over the pesto and squeeze over the lemon juice.

Toss all of it collectively to coat the couscous totally with pesto. In case your pesto is on the dry facet, add just a little oil. Sprinkle over lemon zest, toasted pine nuts, and shredded contemporary basil. Season with flaky salt and black pepper. 

close up of pesto salad.

Serve the salad recipe as a facet salad for a important dish or on it is personal for a light-weight lunch. 

Leftover salad will be saved in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days. 

Substitutions

  • Couscous: If you do not have pearl couscous, you might use common couscous, orzo, or a grain of your alternative. like quinoa, farro, or bulgur. Or, substitute it for cauliflower rice!
  • Basil Pesto: If you do not have the elements for pesto or choose a unique taste, you need to use a sun-dried tomato pesto or a easy French dressing.
  • Pine Nuts: Pine nuts will be costly and typically onerous to search out. So as to add crunch, you need to use different nuts or seeds like walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, or almonds.
  • Greens: You’ll be able to bulk out the salad extra with different chopped greens! Attempt chopped bell pepper, crimson onion or cucumber. 

Variations 

  • Mediterranean Couscous Salad – Roast the cherry tomatoes, add olives and cucumber, swap the mozzarella for feta, and the pesto for a lemon dressing to make a Mediterranean couscous salad.
  • Roasted Vegetable Couscous Salad: Toss greens like bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and onions in olive oil and roast till caramelized. Mix these with the cooked couscous and pesto for a wealthy, hearty salad.

Full Recipe

close up of pesto salad.

Pesto Couscous Salad

Yield:
4

Prep Time:
10 minutes

Cook dinner Time:
10 minutes

Complete Time:
20 minutes

This pesto couscous salad makes use of basil pesto to carry a scrumptious taste. It is tossed with pearl couscous, cherry tomatoes, contemporary mozzarella, pine nuts, and lemon.

Elements

Couscous

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 ½ cup (250g) pearl couscous
  • 1 ½ cups (375g) water
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Salad

  • 200g (7oz) cherry tomatoes
  • 200g (7oz) bocconcini
  • 130g (½ cup) basil pesto
  • 1 Tablespoon contemporary lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pinenuts
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest, finely grated
  • Handful of contemporary basil, shredded
  • Flaky salt and black pepper

Directions

  1. Add the dry couscous to a big saucepan together with olive oil and gently toast it over medium warmth for a minute.
  2. Pour over chilly water. Let the water come to a simmer, then flip the warmth all the way down to low and prepare dinner till the pearl couscous has absorbed the surplus water. It ought to nonetheless have a barely agency chew to it.
  3. Break it up with a fork, add it to a big bowl, and depart it to chill to room temperature.
  4. Reduce the cherry tomatoes in half on a reducing board, and tear the contemporary mozzarella into small items. Add these to the cooled couscous.
  5. Dollop over the pesto and squeeze over the lemon juice. Toss all of it collectively to coat the couscous totally with pesto. In case your pesto is on the dry facet, add just a little oil.
  6. Sprinkle over lemon zest, toasted pine nuts, and shredded contemporary basil. Season with flaky salt and black pepper.

Diet Data:

Yield: 4

Serving Dimension: 1

Quantity Per Serving:

Energy: 345Complete Fats: 30gSaturated Fats: 9gTrans Fats: 0gUnsaturated Fats: 19gLdl cholesterol: 40mgSodium: 580mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 13g



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