Israeli couscous is an absolute pleasure to eat.
There’s something inherently comforting about eating a hot bowl of soup on a cold day, and that’s precisely how I feel when I eat this warm Israeli couscous salad. Also known as pearl couscous, this pasta-like couscous is plump and silky, with more surface area to carry flavor than regular couscous. And lest you be misled by my use of the word ‘salad’, there are no leaves involved. Only gluten-full globes of deliciousness with a mouthfeel I can only describe as delightful.
In this dish, simplicity is everything. Cherry tomatoes with sea salt and plenty of good olive oil are roasted until bursting, creating a perfectly subtle sauce right in the bottom of the baking dish. Cooked couscous is folded in and finished with shallots caramelized in chili flakes for a savory, spicy finish. Not sold yet? You can have this dish cooked and ready to serve in as little as 30 minutes. This is one of those dishes that you are going to want to eat right off the spoon. Be sure to eat it while it’s still warm so you don’t miss out on the joy of cherry tomatoes bursting unexpectedly in your mouth.
Warm Israeli Couscous Salad
Serves 4-6
1 cup Israeli (pearl) couscous (like Brad’s Organic or Trader Joes)
1 box cherry tomatoes
1 large shallot, or 2 small
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Dried red pepper flakes
Sea Salt
OPTIONAL: Manchego, for shaving on top
Preheat oven to 375. Wash tomatoes and put them in a baking dish with high sides. Make sure that the tomatoes are in a single layer. Pour lots of good olive oil on top and sprinkle generously with sea salt. The olive oil should cover the bottom of the baking dish. Combined with the juice from the tomatoes, it will comprise the sauce for your couscous, so don’t hesitate to be a bit heavy handed.
Once the oven is preheated, put the tomatoes in the oven and set a timer for 15 minutes. Now start your couscous in a small pot, and cook according to product specific instructions. For Bob’s Red Mill Pearl Couscous, add 1 ½ cups water to the pot with a sprinkle of sea salt. Bring to a boil and then add 1 cup couscous. Reduce to a simmer and mix before covering. Cook covered until water is absorbed, about 10 or so minutes. Remove from the heat, mix gently, cover and set aside.
While the tomatoes are in the oven, cut 1 large shallot into rounds (or use 2 small shallots). The more caramelized shallots, the merrier! Heat 2 tbsps or so of olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots when the olive oil starts to shimmer. Turn down the heat and let shallots cook until they are starting to become soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add ½ tsp red chili flakes and a sprinkle of sea salt to the pan. Let cook over very low heat another 8-10 mins. When you taste your oil, it should have the heat from the chili flakes. Turn the heat off.
Once the tomatoes have been in the oven 15 minutes, take them out, give them a mix and then stick back in the oven for 10 more minutes, or until tomatoes are very soft with wrinkled skin. Once done, let cool a few minutes and then pour cooked couscous into the baking dish with the cherry tomatoes. Pour in shallots with chili oil and gently fold everything together. Taste for salt and add more as needed.
Serve warm. Top with a bit of shaved manchego for some extra pizzazz. This dish also tastes great after a day or two in the fridge, as the couscous continues to soak up all the delicious flavor.