Did you notice the fabulous sounding and looking recipes we ran in our July 17 issue? They came to us courtesy of Pereg Gourmet, an Israeli food company that specializes in North African spice mixes and in recent years has expanded into marrying its unique spice mixes with Middle Eastern grains.
We’ve tested two of the recipes, and the results from the first one are here. It’s a lovely, light and flavorful summer salad, perfect for preparing on a Sunday to have in the fridge waiting for later in the week. If you are preparing ahead, add the goat’s cheese and walnuts just before serving.
בתיאבון!
Bon appétit!
Israeli Couscous Salad
Ingredients
- 1 C Israeli couscous**
- 1¾ C water
- 4 medium red beets, tops removed
- 4 TB olive oil, divided
- 1 C arugula (spinach can be substituted)
- 2 TB lemon juice
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ C sliced red onion
- ¼ bunch scallion, sliced thin (light green & white parts)
- ¼ C crumbled goat cheese (Feta or chevre)
- ¼ C walnuts (optional: toasted)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 450ºF. Drizzle the beets with 1 TB olive oil and wrap them loosely in tin foil or a roasting pan. Roast for 40-60 minutes until tender. Cool, peel and dice into ½" pieces.
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Make dressing by whisking lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil. Add onions and let sit for 30 minutes.
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Bring water to boil. Add the couscous and ½ TB olive oil and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, ca. 10 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in arugula to let wilt.
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Combine couscous, beets, scallions and dressing. Garnish with goat cheese and walnuts and serve at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
** The original recipe calls for a couscous mix from Pereg. If unavailable, try spicing your dressing with some North African flavors, such as pinches of cumin and coriander.
