Quick pearl couscous salad with za’atar and dill
A quickly made salad is not only a great souvenir for a nice barbecue, but often a real lifesaver. Well, at least for everyone around me when I get hangry again without even noticing it. The only thing that helps is food, really good food! This quick pearl couscous salad is not only filling, but the little balls also give this pasta salad (yes, pasta!) a special mouthfeel.
Pasta or couscous salad?
I keep saying it: couscous is actually the smallest pasta in the world! Couscous sometimes looks like bulgur, but the two foods are worlds apart. Bulgur is made of 100% wheat. Like pasta, couscous is made from durum wheat semolina and water.
You notice the difference the bigger the couscous you have in front of you. In Lebanon, by the way, the large couscous is called moghrabieh and also refers to a very specific stew made with this type of couscous.
Pearl Couscous – Perfect for a quick pasta salad!
While the pearl couscous is cooking in salted water – like other pasta – the vegetables are quickly chopped and the dressing is mixed. Of course, you can also omit or add ingredients to the vegetables. Nothing stands in the way of your imagination.
For my part, I really like the small cherry tomatoes with their wonderfully sweet aroma for the pearl couscous salad. Together with peppers, radishes and cucumber they round off the salad very well.
The dressing is made just as quickly: chop dill, lemon juice and olive oil and za’atar mix with each other and it’s ready. Oh yes, I forgot one ingredient: salt lemons!
With their hearty acidity, the preserved lemons go perfectly with the pearl couscous salad and give it an elegant freshness. You can then simply add the lemon, completely chopped, to the salad.
For me, the pearl couscous salad is also perfect for a meal prep. Just pop it in and take it with you.
Recipe for Pearl Couscous Salad with Za’atar and Dill
Ingredients
- 150 g Pearl couscous
- 1/2 Cucumber
- 200 g Cherry tomatoes
- 150 g Feta
- 4 Radish
- 1/2 Red onion
- 1 Paprika
Zubereitung
Dressing
- Chop the dill.
- Mix the lemon juice with the olive oil, za'atar, salt, pepper and dill.
Salad
- Cook the pearl couscous according to the instructions on the packet and strain. Rinse with water and drain.
- Peel the onion and cut into thin half-rings.
- Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
- Mix all the ingredients together and crumble the feta over the top. Leave the salad to stand for approx. 10 minutes.
- The pearl couscous salad can also be prepared a day in advance.
Notes
Nährwerte
Try also the couscous salad with tuna or the couscous salad with halloumi and zucchini.
