Couscous Salad with Cherry Tomatoes

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Prep Time:
5 mins
Total Time:
35 mins
Servings:
4

Israeli couscous stands in for pasta in this lighter version of a classic summer salad.

Ingredients

  • Coarse salt

  • 1 cup Israeli couscous

  • 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, small ones halved, large ones quartered

  • ½ cup fresh small basil leaves, plus more for garnish

  • 2 tablespoons minced shallots

  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • ¾ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

  1. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, toast couscous in a small saute pan over medium heat, moving pan in a circular motion, until evenly browned, about 7 minutes. Immediately add couscous to boiling water, and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water until cool.

  2. Place couscous, tomatoes, basil, shallots, vinegar, oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper in a large bowl. Mix well, and let stand at room temperature until ready to serve, at least 15 minutes (or up to 1 hour). Stir well, and garnish with basil.

Cook's Notes

Israeli, or pearl, couscous tastes like a light version of pasta. The tiny tan orbs take slightly longer to cook than traditional couscous and are available at most major supermarkets.

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