Israeli couscous salad

Despite its English name, Israeli couscous – pearl couscous or Ptitim – is not a type of couscous but small pasta balls made with durum wheat semolina flour and water, similar to Sardinian fregola.

Its shape is reminiscent of Palestinian maftoul, Levantine moghrabieh, and North African Berkoukes.

You’ll love pearl couscous because it cooks quickly—about 7 minutes in boiling water or vegetable broth—and has a slightly chewy and satisfying texture.

Here, we’ll show you how to use Israeli couscous to make a delicious, Mediterranean-inspired pearl couscous salad.

This salad is perfect for meal prep, potlucks, barbecues, packed lunches, or everyday meals.

The recipe is inspired by Egyptian balela salad and our Moroccan couscous salad.

Like our farro salad, rice salad, and orzo salad, it’s packed with fresh, juicy, crunchy veggies, umami-loaded sun-dried tomatoes and olives, and a bold mustard dressing.

We love topping the salad with sumac onions and serving it alongside a thick yogurt tahini sauce and toasted pinenuts.

With this recipe, we want to celebrate the colorful flavors of the Mediterranean, crossing borders and embracing traditions that complement and elevate each other beautifully.

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Israeli couscous

Ptitim, sometimes called Israeli couscous, giant couscous, or pearl couscous, is the main ingredient in this pearl couscous salad.

Pearl couscous looks like small balls of pasta. You can find it in larger supermarkets or online.

You’ll also need water or vegetable broth to cook Ptitim.

Substitute farro, orzo, barley, rice, fregola, or Moroccan couscous for pearl couscous.

Chickpeas

Chickpeas are the perfect complement to pearl couscous because they complete the protein profile of this delicious salad.

You can use canned or dry chickpeas that you cook yourself in water.

Here’s our guide on how to cook chickpeas if you need guidance.

Substitute black beans, edamame beans, and lentils for chickpeas.

Bell pepper

We use green bell pepper.

Substitute yellow or red bell pepper for green.

Cucumber

English cucumber, American cucumber, or Persian cucumber are all excellent options.

Scallions

We love the mild, zesty flavor of fresh spring onions.

Substitute shallots or red onions for scallions.

Cherry tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes add juiciness and natural sweetness to this Israeli couscous salad.

Substitute plum, date, or another type of small tomatoes for cherry tomatoes.

Fresh herbs

We recommend using fresh flat-leaf parsley, also known as Italian parsley, commonly used in the Mediterranean regions.

Substitute fresh mint, basil, dill, or oregano for parsley.

If you want, you can combine two or more fresh herbs.

Olives

Our favorites are olive taggiasche from Italy and kalamata olives from Greece.

Sun-dried tomatoes

Go for sun-dried tomatoes in oil for the best taste and texture.

Substitute marinated artichoke hearts for sun-dried tomatoes.

Dressing

We use our reader’s favorite mustard dressing with:

• Extra virgin olive oil.
• Fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar.
• Maple syrup or honey.
• American mustard or Dijon mustard.
• Grated garlic or garlic powder.
• Ground cumin or sumac.
• Salt & black pepper.

Serves well with

Pearl couscous salad serves well with:

• Sumac onions or quick pickled red onions.
• Jalapeños or quick pickled jalapeños.
• Yogurt tahini dressing.

US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Cook the Israeli couscous

Cook the pearl couscous in plenty of lightly salted boiling water or vegetable broth per package instructions—about 7 to 10 minutes.

While the couscous cooks, you can start preparing the vegetables.

Taste a pearl of couscous to ensure it’s cooked, then drain it and add it to a large mixing bowl.

Let it cool down for 10 minutes. In the meantime, finish preparing the vegetables.

Tip: It’s okay if the pearls stick together; they’ll separate later when you toss them with the vegetables.

Prepare the vegetables

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Thinly slice the spring onions.

Chop the cucumber and bell pepper into small dice. Drain the olives and sun-dried tomatoes from their liquid. Finely chop the parsley.

Add vegetables to the bowl with the cooked pearl couscous.

Make the dressing by whisking together extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, mustard, grated garlic, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper.

Pour the dressing over the salad, then toss until well combined.

Taste and adjust for salt and lemon juice.

Israeli couscous salad can be served as a main course or a side dish. It’s nourishing and fulfilling, so we often have it for lunch or dinner.

You can top it with sumac onions or quick pickled onions, jalapeños, crumbled feta cheese or non-dairy feta, and toasted pine nuts.

Another delicious way of serving it—our favorite—is next to a thick and creamy yogurt tahini sauce, which you can make in seconds by mixing Greek yogurt or non-dairy yogurt and tahini.

Top the salad with a generous pinch of sumac onions, and you’ll be in for a treat!

Uh. Jalapeños or pickled jalapeños are always welcome if you like it spicy.

Finally, pearl couscous salad is also excellent on a Mezze platter with other small Mediterranean and Levantine dishes.

Among our favorites are:

• Hummus
• Falafel
• Muhammara
• Baba ganoush
• Mutabal
• Tzatziki

An easy variation to this salad is made with Moroccan couscous, which cooks fast and tastes delicious.

Here’s our couscous salad recipe if you are interested.

Make ahead: This Israeli couscous salad is an excellent recipe for meal prep. It keeps well for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. You can, therefore, make it in advance and bring it to picnics, potlucks, and barbecues or have it as a packed lunch.

Refrigerator: Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Remove them 15 minutes before serving.

Freezer: We don’t recommend freezing pearl couscous salad

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