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How To Cook Pearl Couscous

Pearl couscous has a somewhat chewy texture akin to barley, and it has a slightly savory flavor.

It usually tastes bland, but its taste enhances with the addition of spices, seasonings, sauces, or fresh herbs. Scroll down for some recipe and preparation ideas.

How To Cook Pearl Couscous

Pearl couscous is not gluten-free since it is prepared with wheat flour but is vegan and vegetarian.

Moreover, being high in fiber, fats, protein, and carbs and is a higher glycemic food, it supports digestive health and can also help you to maintain a healthy weight.

So, if you are looking for ways to cook pearl couscous, here are some quick and delicious recipes.

Pearl Couscous Salad

This is a simpler version of a pricey salad that everyone enjoys.

It is considerably more affordable when you use things you have on hand so that you can eat them more frequently.

You can also check out http://riceselect.com/product/riceselect-pearl-couscous to buy good quality pearl couscous for this recipe.

Ingredients

  • Five tablespoons of olive oil
  • Two cups of pearl couscous
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • ½ cup French lentils
  • Two Plum tomatoes
  • One small cucumber
  • One red bell pepper
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • ⅓ cup diced red onion
  • ¼ cup 1/2-inch slices of fresh chives
  • Two tablespoons parsley
  • One green onion
  • One teaspoon of ground sumac

Dressing

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • Two lemons, juiced
  • Two tablespoons honey
  • salt and ground black pepper

Recipe

Heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add the couscous and stir it until it gets toasted. Pour 2.5 cups of water and bring it to a boil.

Cover it and cook till the couscous becomes soft and tender. Then rinse the couscous in a colander under cold water.

Add the couscous to a bowl, mix 1/4 cup of olive oil and stir it.

Similarly, boil the lentils until it gets tender. Drain it and rinse under cold water.

Add the lentils to the couscous with cucumber, tomatoes, red bell pepper, raisins, cranberries, chives, red onion, green onion, sumac, and parsley. Whisk together olive oil, honey, lemon juice, pepper, and salt in a bowl; pour the couscous and lentil and stir it well to coat.

Refrigerate the salad for 8 hours overnight to allow flavors to blend.

How To Cook Pearl Couscous

Vegetarian Pearl Couscous Risotto with Parmesan and Spinach

Pearl couscous makes a good risotto but is a little less creamy. This vegetarian Israeli couscous risotto with spinach and parmesan tastes heavenly with a splash of white wine.

Ingredients

  • Two tablespoons of olive oil or butter
  • Small yellow onion
  • Pearl couscous
  • Vegetable broth
  • Dry white wine
  • Fresh spinach
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt
  • pepper

Recipe

Gather all the ingredients and add the chopped onions to olive oil or butter in a large skillet. Stir it occasionally until it becomes soft.

Next, add the pearl couscous and toast it until it gets brown. Add the vegetable broth and bring it to a simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Then, add the dry white wine, stir it for about 3 to 5 minutes, and add the fresh spinach. Cook in medium to low heat until the spinach wilts.

Turn off the heat and add the parmesan cheese, sea salt, and pepper according to taste. Garnish it with more parmesan cheese, if you want.

How To Cook Pearl Couscous

Vegan Coconut Couscous

This recipe is delicious and straightforward. The addition of coconut milk and green onion gives it the perfect color, and it has a sharp taste that counteracts the sweetness of the coconut.

Ingredients

  • Light coconut milk
  • Water
  • Salt
  • Uncooked pearl couscous
  • One green onion, chopped, about two tablespoons (only take the white and light green parts)

Recipes

Add the coconut milk, water, and salt together in a saucepan. Boil the mixture over medium heat.

Pour the pearl couscous into the coconut milk, turn off the heat, put the lid over the pot, and let it sit for about five minutes. Toss the couscous with the green onion and fluff it using a fork.

You may have it as a side dish and a main course with meat, vegetables, or fish.

Falafel-Spiced Middle Eastern Couscous

Pearl couscous has a mild flavor, and hence, it becomes even more nutritious when cooked with vegetables while the taste is enhanced with spices.

You can sprinkle traditional falafel spices like cumin and coriander over the chickpeas and tomatoes before roasting in this recipe, and the spices become more fragrant after roasting.

Ingredients

  • Chickpeas,
  • Cherry tomatoes,
  • Olive oil
  • Ground cumin
  • Ground coriander
  • Garlic powder
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups pearled couscous
  • Water
  • Feta cheese
  • Fresh cilantro or parsley
  • Salt

Recipe

Preheat the oven and combine all the spices in a small bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes with one tablespoon of olive oil and season with some spice mixture.

Toss the olive oil, chickpeas, and spice mixture. Place the tomatoes and chickpeas on parchment paper over a sheet pan and roast it for thirty minutes in the oven.

Boil water and add the couscous. Remove the heat and fluff the couscous with a fork.

Season it with salt and some feta cheese. Add the tomatoes and chickpeas to the cooked pearl couscous and stir it. Lastly, add the cilantro or parsley and sprinkle some feta cheese.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

How To Cook Pearl Couscous

Conclusion

Therefore, these were some of the ways to try pearl couscous. So, wait no more and make pearl couscous a part of your meal using these delicious recipe ideas.

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