Monday, August 3, 2009

Summer Israeli Couscous Salad

Last spring I was invited to join the San Diego chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier. Last night the group had a summer BBQ potluck. I'm not usually a fan of potlucks, mostly because you just never know what kind of food will arrive. But a potluck with dishes by women who are restaurant owners, caterers, cookbook authors, and cooking school teachers? Now, game on.

As it happened, the organizers also enjoy making it just a little competitive, and they had a contest for the best salad. You could also bring an appetizer or dessert, but since I was pressed for time and happened to have the ingredients on hand, I decided to make my version of Mark Bittman's Israeli couscous salad. This salad really takes advantage of the bounty of summer produce. And, I love the impact of the cinnamon, cumin, and preserved lemon.

Anyway, there were a lot of salads on the table last night, each one different, each delicious. Most, like mine, were simply plated in large bowls, but cooking teacher Edie Greenberg made a potato salad in the shape of a hat, decorated with flowers. It was absolutely charming. Another salad, linguini with shrimp, was arranged in a huge margarita glass. Along with the salads was an array of barbecued chicken thighs, pork ribs, and lamp chops. And, I don't have to tell you how delicious the half-dozen desserts were.

Okay, so the salad competition. The newbie won. I was pretty surprised and delighted. And my prize? A stunning plastic tiara. Because, of course, every girl should have one. This Les Dames experience is going to be fun!



Israeli Couscous Salad

Adapted from Mark Bittman’s Israeli Couscous Salad from “How to Eat Everything Vegetarian”


1 8.8 oz. package of Israeli couscous

1 small chopped white onion

1/4 cup plus 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper

2 cups boiling water

2 T. sherry vinegar

½ t. ground cumin

1/8 t. ground cinnamon

1 preserved lemon, skin only, sliced thinly

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup currants or golden raisins

½ cup drained canned chickpeas

2 T. capers

½ cup pine nuts, toasted

½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

½ pint roasted cherry or grape tomatoes*

Kernels from 1 ear of fresh white corn

6 shishito peppers, chopped

1/2 cup chopped parsley


Using a large frying pan, saute the white onion and half of the shishito peppers in 2 T. of olive oil until the onions are golden brown Add the Israeli couscous and stir until the couscous begins to brown. Add salt and pepper, then add two cups boiling water. Cover the pan and simmer for eight to 10 minutes.


Pour the couscous into a large bowl and let cool. Then stir in oil, vinegar, and spices. Add the remaining ingredients. Let the salad stand at room temperature for an hour before serving. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.


*I used Peggy Knickerbocker’s recipe below for slow-roasted tomatoes:


36 to 48 cherry tomatoes, or more

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 to ½ cup fresh chopped herbs: any combination of parsley, marjoram, oregano, chervil

Sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, optional


Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.


  1. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half width-wise. Place the halves in one or two baking dishes cut side up in one layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and a few drops of balsamic vinegar.
  2. Bake for three to four hours or until the tomatoes soften and almost collapse. Fifteen minutes before the baking is completed, combine the garlic and herbs in a small bowl. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and sprinkle the herbs and cheese on top of the tomatoes. Return to the oven for the remaining time.
  3. Serve warm or at room temperature.


My note: These tomatoes freeze well.



2 comments:

  1. Sounds great, just stumbled your post!

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  2. The Israeli couscous salad looks great. Just recently, I came across a recipe for an Israeli version of hummus that was fabulous! If you are interested, you can check out the photos and the recipe on my site.

    I enjoyed your blog. I will be back!

    ReplyDelete