Pearl Couscous Salad with Asparagus

Pearl Couscous Salad has an array of veggies along with the Israeli couscous including asparagus, olives, and more. A delicious lunch and this cold Mediterranean couscous salad is a great side at any family and friends gathering.

This recipe was really fun to create. A little of this and a little of that, taste and continue.

Everything came out perfect the first time around. I was on my own with this Mediterranean couscous salad though.

Ed is usually great in helping me taste my recipes but he doesn’t touch condiments. No mustard, ketchup, or dressings which means no salads. He does fix cars and lay floors though.

Right now he is laying floors throughout our whole house. The seams are straight and it is gorgeous.

I’m treating it like a newborn baby and even laying towels around the dishwasher when I am doing dishes. That might last two weeks.

I love salads that are sans leafy greens for an occasional change. They are cool and refreshing which makes them a perfect foil on a dinner menu.

In fact, it makes a great lunch on its own. Who can argue with Pearl Couscous Salad which has lots of nutrients and is also low in calories?

🥘 Ingredients

• Vegetable broth – is used to cook the couscous and add nice flavor.
• Israeli couscous – makes up the main part of this high protein and high fiber ‘pasta’.
• Asparagus spears – are a special vegetable that people don’t eat often and they have a wonderfully unique taste.
• Kalamata olives – are deep purple and have a sharp tangy flavor.
• Roasted red bell peppers – give a sweet contrast to the dressing and olives.
• Baby spinach – is so good for you and it adds nice color and a contrasting texture to the salad.
• Scallions – are a great garnish and taste so good.
• Garlic powder – is a great seasoning but a bit sweeter than fresh garlic.
• Dill weed – is a buttery herb that brings a brightness for fresh flavor.
• Salt and pepper – are the perfect seasoners.
• Lemon juice – is a beautiful fresh juice that is perfect to mix with olive oil for salad dressing.
• Extra virgin olive oil – makes the dressing just right!

💭 What is couscous

Couscous is not a grain as many think. In fact, it can be a homemade product.

It’s very much like pasta. Certain types of flour are worked with flour to make different size ‘balls’.

There are several types as explained below.

👩🏻‍🍳 How is couscous made

Couscous is a tiny pasta made of durum wheat (semolina) or barley.

Although it was traditionally hand-rolled (can you imagine?), these days it’s made by machine. Whew!

If you’re curious about how it is made at home then coarsely-ground durum wheat (semolina) is moistened and tossed and rolled baked in forth in a bowl with your fingers and palms of your hands.

You just keep at it until it forms tiny, round balls. The size that you want.

📖 Couscous types

• The smallest is Moroccan couscous and is so small that it cooks in a very few minutes.
• Israeli is the next size that is about the size of a peppercorn. It is also called pearl couscous.
• The largest is Lebanese couscous and takes about 12 minutes to cook. The balls are about peas size.

🥗 More pasta salads

• Healthy Greek Orzo Salad is another Mediterranean side dish that is a favorite.
• You can’t go wrong with and Italian inspired dish with this recipe for Panzanella Pasta Salad.
• I even named this filling dish Mediterranean Pasta Salad with its big bowties and balsamic dressing.

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If you take a photo of your healthy and beautiful salad I would love to see it. Follow me over on Instagram and tag me on your photo @vegan_in_the_freezer.

Your opinion means a lot to me and if you’d like to leave a comment and possibly a star rating I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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📋 Recipe

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5 from 4 votes

Asparagus Couscous Salad

Israeli Pearl Couscous Salad has an array of veggies including asparagus and olives. The flavors will have you thinking gourmet.

Course Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean, Salad, Vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 274kcal

Author Ginny McMeans

Ingredients

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 10 ounces couscous, 1 Package, Lebanese is a larger couscous
• 8 ounces asparagus spears – one bundle or 1 tall jar of young asparagus
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 cup baby spinach, torn
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• dash ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan bring the vegetable broth to a boil.
• Add the couscous and cook for about 10 minutes, Drain and set aside.
  

Three options for handling the asparagus are below:

Option 1, roasted :

• Snap off the tough end of each spear. You can also cut about 1″ off each end instead.
• Lay out, in one layer, on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper.
• Roast at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes. Toss a couple of times during those 10 minutes.
• Overcooked asparagus they will become tough so be careful.

Option 2, steamed:

• If you would like to steam them then cut off the ends as described above.
• Cut into 2″ pieces. Put in a steaming basket and steam over boiling water for about 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat, drain and run under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.

Option 3, jarred:

• If you are using jarred asparagus then drain and cut the spears in 2″ pieces.
• Place the couscous into a medium-size bowl.

The remainder of the recipe:

• Add all the rest of the ingredients and toss lightly.
• Refrigerate for at least one hour for the flavors to meld.

Video

Notes

You can refrigerate for up to 4 days.

You can also use Lebanese couscous for this recipe.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Asparagus Couscous Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 Cup)

Calories 274 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Sodium 852mg36%

Potassium 224mg6%

Carbohydrates 41g14%

Fiber 3g12%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 1085IU22%

Vitamin C 13mg16%

Calcium 40mg4%

Iron 1.7mg9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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