Hearty Pearl Couscous With Leeks And Dried Cherries
Andrea Potischman
Feb 28, 2018
I honestly have no idea when I first had couscous, but I love the stuff. I think my boys were eating couscous before they had rice. Pearl (or Israeli) couscous is similar to regular couscous in that is it also a whole-grain food made from semolina or wheat flour. Known as “ptitim“, Israel, pearl couscous, is often thought of as a whole grain, but it’s a type of pasta made of semolina flour and water. Ptitim is made by extruding dough through a round mold. It is then cut and toasted, which gives it a uniform grain-like shape and a unique nutty flavor.
If you have never had it, grains of pearl couscous are slightly larger and more chewy than regular couscous. It is similar to barley. Because pearl couscous is toasted, it has a slightly savory, almost nutty flavor. As with regular couscous on its own, pearl couscous on its own is rather bland but it’s extremely versatile, you can do almost anything with it.
In this hearty recipe, I add my favorite, leeks, for a lovely, yet subtle onion flavor. Slightly tart-dried cherries complement the earthy leeks nicely. The walnuts add fiber, protein, crunch, and more nutty flavor. There is very little to this simple vegetarian and vegan-friendly side dish, and that’s why I love it. Not much prep work, and very little cooking is required; and you’re left with a fantastic, flavorful, side dish that works well with just about anything or even on its own. If you liked my Cauliflower quinoa vegetable rice, I’m willing to bet you will enjoy this recipe just as much.
Hearty Pearl Couscous With Leeks And Dried Cherries
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup pearl couscous
- 2 cups vegetable stock (or water)
- 4 tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 cup leeks, white and green parts only, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup dried cherries, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chives, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
- Place the vegetable stock (or water) in a medium saucepan and heat over high heat. When boiling, add the couscous and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain in a colander and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place in a medium size mixing bowl and set aside.
- Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and when hot, but not smoking, add the leeks and cook until tender and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the leek-garlic mixture to the cooked couscous. Add the cherries, walnuts, parsley, chives, salt, pepper, and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Use a rubber spatula to mix well. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Would like to print without photo but do not see the print icon?
Hi Chris-
So sorry, I do not have that feature in operation right now as it was causing some issues while I was doing a site-wide recipe transfer project. You can easily copy and paste it into an e-mail or a Word document as an alternative option. I hope you make and enjoy this recipe, it’s a favorite of mine.
Andrea
Yum, yum, yum! I didn’t have cherries so I used dried cranberries. And since green garlic is in season, used that instead of regular garlic. And I had mushrooms so sautéed and added those. It was delicious.
Love this. You may need to start food blogging Sara 😉