Ingredients
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 recipe Simple Israeli Couscous, cooled, (see related content)
- 4 ounces baby arugula, roughly chopped, (4 cups)
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves, torn
- 1/2 cup thawed frozen peas
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped
- 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled, (3/4 cup)
Directions
- Bring vinegar, sugar, and pinch salt to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Add shallots and stir to combine. Cover and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Drain and discard liquid.
- Whisk oil, lemon juice, mustard, pepper flakes, and 1/8 teaspoon salt together in large bowl.
- Add cooled couscous, arugula, mint, peas, 6 tablespoons pistachios, 1/2 cup feta, and shallots and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to serving bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup feta and remaining 2 tablespoons pistachios and serve.
Serves 6
Notes
Why this recipe works:
To make pasta salad using Israeli couscous, we first toast the spheres in oil to bring out their nuttiness. We then cook the couscous in a measured amount of water that is soaked up during cooking. This absorption method produces more evenly cooked results than boiling the couscous. To turn the couscous into a salad, we dress it with a bold vinaigrette of equal parts acid and oil. Finally, we mix in plenty of fresh vegetables, cheese, nuts, and herbs.