Toasted Israeli Couscous Salad with Mint, Cucumber, and Feta
This refreshing pasta salad, with its cool flavors of mint and cucumber, is a nice accompaniment to barbecued meats and a welcome contribution to a potluck.
Ingredients
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Kosher salt
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1 cup Israeli couscous
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1 medium English cucumber, peeled and finely diced (2 cups)
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1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh spearmint or pineapple mint leaves; additional sprigs for garnish
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1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
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2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; more as needed
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1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
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Freshly ground black pepper
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1 cup small-diced feta cheese
Directions
1.
In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts well-salted water to a boil.
2.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium heat, toast the couscous, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, about 7 minutes.
3.
Cook the couscous in the boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water until cool. Pour the couscous into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the cucumber and mint.
4.
In a small bowl, mix the oil, lemon juice and zest, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir in the feta. Add the feta mixture to the couscous, season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the mint sprigs.
5.
Make Ahead: You can refrigerate the salad for up to 4 hours; toss before serving.
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how-tos
Recommended Recipe:
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Before opening Zahav restaurant in Philadelphia, chef Michael Solomonov visited hummus parlors all over Israel trying to find the best recipe. "Hummus is the hardest thing to get right," he says. "It has to be rich, creamy and mildly nutty." To make his hummus luxuriously smooth, he soaks the chickpeas overnight with baking soda to soften them. While Americans now flavor hummus with everything from pureed red peppers to fresh herbs, Solomonov says among the fanciest garnishes you can find in Israel are whole chickpeas, paprika, and lemon-spiked tahini, used for hummus masabacha.
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