Whether you call it “pearl couscous” or “Israeli couscous,” there’s everything to love about these little balls of pasta. In this recipe, chilled couscous is coated in a simple olive oil dressing, then tossed with tomatoes, basil, and almonds before being finished with a generous drizzle of balsamic glaze. Healthy and delicious!

Tomato + Basil + Balsamic …. I could just leave it at that, right?

There are few combinations on this planet that are more delicious than this holy trifecta.

There are certain times of the year (like right now, stupid weather!) when I start craving fresh. I can’t handle anymore potatoes right now. I need tomatoes and basil!

Luckily, cherry tomatoes can be found year-round and are usually much sweeter than their full-sized counterparts. Fresh basil can be grown on your counter, or if you are like me you can repeatedly buy the “living basil” in the produce section and kill it off every few weeks.

I used whole wheat pearl couscous for this recipe (made by one of my favorite local companies, Bob’s Red Mill), but regular pearl couscous (sometimes called Israel couscous) will work just fine!

Ready to get your grub on?

Here’s Your Recipe!

The Wanderlust Kitchen

Yields 4-6

Tomato Basil Pearl Couscous Salad

Whether you call it "pearl couscous" or "Israeli couscous," there's everything to love about these little balls of pasta. In this recipe, chilled couscous is coated in a simple olive oil dressing, then tossed with tomatoes, basil, and almonds before being finished with a generous drizzle of balsamic glaze. Healthy and delicious!

10 minPrep Time

20 minCook Time

30 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked pearl couscous
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried lemon peel
• 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped raw walnuts
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped raw almonds
• 2 tablespoons chiffonade of basil (basil leave sliced thin)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze*

Instructions

1. Cook the couscous according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and lemon peel together in the bottom of a large bowl. Add the tomatoes and toss well.
3. Once the couscous has finished cooking, rinse with cold water and set aside to cool to room temperature.
4. When cool, add the couscous and nuts to the bowl and toss well to coat. Fold in the basil and drizzle the balsamic glaze over the top.

Notes

*You can purchase pre-made balsamic glaze, or you can make your own using my version in this recipe: https://thewanderlustkitchen.com/tomato-basil-balsamic-chicken/

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https://thewanderlustkitchen.com/tomato-basil-israeli-couscous-salad/