Recently, I started having five small meals instead of three. And I love salads around 10:30 to 11:00 AM, and it helps to reduce my carbs intake during lunch. During January, I posted three bean-based salad recipes under the elevenses theme that love to eat as my mid-morning snack. Today, I share a grain-based salad, and this is an excellent option for both lunch and elevenses. The grain that I used is the pearl couscous.
Pearl Couscous and Substitutes:
Couscous is ground pasta made from semolina. When we say couscous, it refers to the small variety, but for this salad, I used the pearl variety (the granules are little larger) which is popularly known by other names like Israeli couscous, Ptitim (in Hebrew), Jerusalem couscous. You can read the difference between the couscous varieties here. I love both the type, but for salad and pulavs, I prefer the pearl variety. But you can use any small pasta like orzo or small macaroni shells for this salad. You can make it more healthy by replacing couscous with millets or quinoa.
How to Cook Couscous in Instant Pot?
You can cook couscous in your preferred way either on the stovetop or in the microwave. But I find Instant Pot method easy and I cook my couscous over the weekend, cool it down and store it in the fridge. For ½ cup of couscous, I used ½ cup of water + 2 tbsps. I pressure cook it for 3 minutes and release the pressure quickly after 5 minutes for a soft and tender couscous.
Lemon Vinaigrette:
Even though I love balsamic vinaigrette, when it comes to grain-based salads, I prefer lemon vinaigrette. I use an equal amount of olive oil and lemon juice for my lemon vinaigrette. Also, I make it fresh when required. I have used lemon zest also in this recipe as it adds that fresh flavor to the salad. When it comes to salad, you can adjust the ingredients according to your preference. The same goes for the veggies included as well. I know cherry tomatoes would have added a flavor to this salad but I skipped it. Be creative with your salads and build your unique flavor profile.
Now without further ado, here is how I made the Mediterranean style couscous salad, Ingredients:
½ cup pearl couscous ½ cup + 2 tbsps water to cook the couscous 1 cup water for the inner pot For the Vinaigrette: 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp olive oil ¾ tsp freshly grated pepper 1 tsp salt For the Salad: ¼ cup diced onion 2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped ¼ cup diced cucumber ¼ diced red bell pepper 2 tbsp fresh mint chopped ¼ diced black olives 2 tsp lemon zest
Steps: Cook the couscous:
Rinse and drain the couscous and add it a pan/pot that fits inside the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Add the water. Now add 1 cup of water to the inner pot and place the trivet. Then put the couscous bowl with water on top of the trivet.
Close the lid and ensure the vent is in the sealing position. Cook for 3 minutes at high pressure and release the pressure quickly after 5 minutes.
Allow it cool thoroughly before adding it to the salad.
Assembling the Salad:
Add the veggies(onion, cucumber, olives, red bell pepper), fresh herbs, lemon zest, and the couscous and mix. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper just before serving. Mix thoroughly and serve.
Recipe Notes-
Instead of couscous, you can use millets, quinoa, bulgur wheat or any other grain of your choice. Adjust the salt and pepper according to your preference. Depending upon the sourness of the lemon juice, adjust the quantity. If required, add a tsp of sugar to balance the flavor.
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📖 Recipe
