This roasted vegetable pearl couscous salad is simple to make, versatile, and tastes unbelievable each scorching or chilly! Plump pearl couscous is the underside, and tender roasted zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and onions give the salad coloration, vogue, and meals routine. This often is a superb dish to meal prep for easygoing lunches or as a facet dish.
I actually like grain salads and pasta salads all by the 12 months. Nonetheless I affiliate them considerably with the summer season season season season months.
All all by the use of the summer season season season season, I select to boil a pot of grains or pasta on a Sunday, add raw or cooked veggies and a superb dressing, and swap all of it appropriate correct proper right into a grain salad for the week’s vegan meal prep lunches.
This roasted vegetable pearl couscous salad is my current favorite, a straightforward mixture that I whipped up sooner than some present journey time.
Whereas I benefit from customary couscous, I’ve on a regular basis had a transparent spot for rounder, extra plump pearl couscous.
That tiny pasta type shines when it’s blended with fashionable, vibrant, sweet summer season season season season greens and carrying a flavorful vinaigrette.
Let me inform you extra about this straightforward dish, which has quite a bit mealtime versatility!
What’s pearl couscous?
After I say “customary couscous,” I’m actually referring to Moroccan couscous. That’s the smallest sort of couscous, and it’s the most common as appropriately.
Moroccan couscous is larger than semolina flour, which is the kind of wheat flour from which it’s made. Nonetheless it’s finer than bulgur wheat. As quickly as cooked, it turns into fluffy and light-weight.
Moroccan couscous can be was a pilaf, used as a mattress for one concern saucy (like my Moroccan-inspired butternut chickpea stew), or utilized in grain salads.
I usually use it to make my quick carrot chickpea couscous salad.
Pearl couscous, which might even be usually known as Israeli couscous, is larger, spherical and plump.
Pearl couscous, like all kinds of couscous, is a tiny pasta type—one concern I on a regular basis should remind myself, as a consequence of my concepts usually lumps it together with grains!
Whereas we’re contemplating alongside these traces, nonetheless, it’s value saying that, for lots of who like grains with a chewy texture, equal to farro, then there’s a superb likelihood you’ll love pearl couscous as appropriately.
Cooking circumstances for pearl vs. Moroccan couscous
Cooking Moroccan couscous is type of straightforward. You convey water and salt to a boil, add the couscous, cowl, take away from heat, and let the couscous sit for five minutes sooner than fluffing and serving.
Cooking pearl couscous is hardly quite a bit effort, nevertheless it takes solely a bit extra time.
I have to put collectively dinner dinner pearl couscous inside the identical implies that I put collectively dinner dinner totally varied sorts of pasta. I convey a pot of salted water to a boil. I add my dry couscous after which boil it, like pasta, till it’s cooked to my liking.
This often takes 8-10 minutes—presumably a tiny bit longer, counting on the mannequin of pearl couscous.
I’m not a fan of al dente grains or pasta, so I often type the couscous after 8 minutes, see if it’s ready, and proceed cooking if I want to present it extra time.
Ideally, the cooked pearl couscous needs to be chewy, nonetheless tender, barely than dense (undercooked) or mushy (overcooked).
Makes use of for pearl couscous
Are you a fan of orzo or pastina? A straightforward facet dish of savory mushroom farro or lemony bulgur?
Then I take into consideration you’ll uncover numerous makes use of for pearl couscous. It may presumably be seasoned plainly with vegan butter or olive oil, salt, and pepper, then used as an accompaniment to your favorite vegan protein and vegetable facet dish.
You may too use cooked pearl couscous for soupy or saucy dishes.
I have to make a batch of my vegan tempeh meatballs, smother them in 20-minute marinara sauce, then serve it over pearl couscous. It’s a gratifying change from spaghetti as commonplace.
Lastly, pearl couscous lends itself merely to warmth, room temperature, or chilly pasta salads.
In cooler months, I have to whip up a salad of pearl couscous, roasted cauliflower, pistachios, and dates. It’s acquired quite a bit vogue and texture distinction.
And when warmth native local weather comes spherical, this pearl couscous salad with juicy, vibrant roasted veggies is my go-to.
Is pearl couscous gluten-free?
Pearl couscous, like most pasta, is made with semolina flour, which is a sort of wheat flour. Consequently, it isn’t gluten-free.
It’s potential to purchase a gluten-free pearl couscous on-line, for lots of who’re devoted.
There are totally utterly completely different alternate selections: I take into consideration that every cooked quinoa and cooked millet would work really appropriately as substitutes on this recipe. Every are naturally gluten-free.
Can I reap the benefits of frequent couscous to make the salad?
Really! Frequent couscous may need a finer, extra fluffy texture, nevertheless it might in all probability nonetheless work appropriately on this recipe.
The appropriate option to make roasted vegetable pearl couscous salad
That’s an easygoing recipe with fairly easy steps.
The approach begins with oven-roasting your veggies.
Step 1: Roast the greens
For this recipe, the veggies will roast at 400°F / 200°C. Begin by lining a baking pan with parchment or aluminum foil.
The pearl couscous salad requires:
- Peppers
- Pink onion
- Carrots
- Zucchini
- Grape tomatoes
The first three of these greens—peppers, onion, and carrots—will need extra cooking time than the tomatoes and zucchini. So, you’ll roast in ranges.
Give the peppers, onion and carrots a head start of twenty minutes contained within the oven.
As quickly as these greens are extra tender, nonetheless not achieved with their roasting time, you’ll push them to at least one facet of the baking sheet. Add the zucchini and tomatoes to the other facet, along with extra cooking oil.
Return the baking sheet to the oven and roast for however but another quarter-hour, or until all the greens are tender and the tomatoes have burst.
Step 2: Put collectively dinner dinner the pearl couscous
Whereas the greens are roasting, you’ll put collectively the couscous for the pearl couscous salad.
To try this, convey a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the couscous and boil it for 8-12 minutes, or until it’s tender, nonetheless nonetheless has some good chewiness.
Drain the couscous by an unbelievable mesh sieve, then swap it to a mixing bowl.
Step 3: Whisk collectively your dressing
As quickly because of the couscous is cooked, you’ll be able to whisk collectively the vinaigrette that seasons this salad and brings it to life.
That dressing is the Greek vinaigrette salad dressing from this weblog. It’s a tangy, garlicky dressing that’s good on a vegan Greek salad, in any case.
Nonetheless I moreover benefit from it on grain or pasta salads, this pearl couscous salad included.
If for some motive the flavour profile of the Greek vinaigrette isn’t for you, it’s best to use thought of one among these vinaigrettes in its place:
Step 4: Mix and season to type
Subsequent, you’ll add the roasted greens to the pearl couscous in your mixing bowl. It needs to be a roomy mixing bowl, so to easily toss all the objects collectively.
Add some fashionable chopped parsley, for lots of who can.
The parsley isn’t obligatory, nevertheless I take into consideration that it affords the pearl couscous salad some lightness, freshness, and additional depth of vogue. Up to date oregano, basil, and chives are all good potential substitutes.
Pour the dressing on excessive of your elements and mix appropriately. Development the pearl couscous salad, then add salt, pepper, or extra vinegar as wished.
Step 5: Chill or serve
Do you have to serve the pearl couscous salad immediately, it’ll nonetheless be warmth.
There’s nothing incorrect with this! I income from the salad warmth, and sometimes I reheat my leftovers.
Nonetheless, that’s moreover an excellent dish to serve chilly. If that’s what you’d like to do, then merely cowl your mixing bowl and pop the salad into the fridge for a pair hours.
The flavors will mingle, the couscous will cool, and in addition to you’ll have an excellent, chilled dish to benefit from and share.
Speaking of chilling and serving, the roasted vegetable pearl couscous salad can be saved in an airtight container contained within the fridge for as fairly a bit as 4 days.
And for lots of who’re questioning, certain, the salad can be frozen. Freeze it for as fairly a bit as six weeks, then defrost in a single day contained within the fridge sooner than reheating or serving chilly.
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Toppings and garnishes for roasted vegetable pearl couscous salad
I like this salad merely the easiest way by which all through which it is, nevertheless a lot of ending touches can present it far more texture and magnificence. In no specific order, appropriate correct proper right here’s a list of ideas:
And proper correct proper right here’s the recipe.
Roasted Vegetable Pearl Couscous Salad
Author –
Yields: 4 servings
- 4 teaspoons refined avocado oil, divided
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced crosswise into 3/8-inch / 1cm thick units (about 1 cup / 120g)
- 1 big pink onion, chopped roughly into 3/4-inch / 2cm units (about 1 1/2 cups / 180g)
- 1 big pink bell pepper, trimmed, seeded, and scale back into 3/4-inch / 2cm units (about 1 1/2 cups / 175g)
- 1 big or 2 small zucchini, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, and scale back into 3/4-inch / 2cm units (about 2 cups / 225g)
- 1 cup full grape or cherry tomatoes (160g)
- 1 cup pearl couscous (225g)
- 1/3 cup evenly packed, chopped parsley (15g)
- 4-6 tablespoons Greek vinaigrette (60-90ml)
Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Line a baking pan with parchment or aluminum foil.
Place the pink onion, carrots, and bell peppers on the baking pan. Drizzle the greens with the 2 teaspoons of avocado oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the greens for 20 minutes, until they’re clear nevertheless not nonetheless browning. Push these greens to at least one facet of the baking pan and add the zucchini and grape tomatoes to the other facet. Drizzle the zucchini and tomatoes with the remaining 2 teaspoons avocado oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Use a spoon to mix the unroasted greens on the sheet, then swap the sheet as quickly as additional to the oven. Roast the greens for however but another quarter-hour, or until the onions, carrots, and peppers are turning golden, the cherry tomatoes have burst, and the zucchini is tender and easily starting to brown.
While you roast the greens, convey an infinite pot of salted water to boil. Add the couscous. Boil the couscous, like pasta, for 8-12 minutes, or until the couscous is completely tender, nonetheless nonetheless has some chewiness. Drain the couscous by a fine-mesh sieve.
Add the couscous to an infinite mixing bowl, along with the roasted greens and chopped parsley. Add the Greek vinaigrette and mix appropriately. Development the roast vegetable couscous and regulate salt and pepper as wished. Must you may add extra vinaigrette—or pink wine vinegar or olive oil—accomplish that.
Serve or retailer in an airtight container contained within the fridge for as fairly a bit as 4 days.
I’ve now made this pearl couscous salad a lot of circumstances. It’s been a pleasing dish to benefit from alone, for work-from-home lunches which could be vibrant and flavorful and don’t actually really actually really feel like an afterthought.
Nonetheless, I’ve moreover shared the salad, piling it into bowls with a pal and consuming it casually on a scorching summer season season season season day.
This often is a salad for sharing or having satisfying with solo, whatever the state of affairs requires. I hope you’ll benefit from it every strategies!
xo