Pearl couscous (otherwise known as Isreali couscous) tossed with asparagus, tomatoes and lemon juice make a vibrant Spring pasta salad that is perfect for lunch, as a side dish, or even to make as a side dish if you are grilling for Mother’s Day this weekend!
I’m not usually a fan of the taste of whole wheat pasta, but I don’t mind it when the pasta is a smaller cut like orzo, angel hair and pearl couscous. Yes, for those of you who’ve never tried pearl couscous, it’s basically pasta and I treat as such. I don’t follow the directions on the box, instead I boil it in a pot of water like I would with orzo. I just adore the pearl shaped texture and also found it as the perfect shape for my daughter when started eating solid foods.
This salad can be eaten room temperature or chilled, and leftovers are great the next day for lunch.
Pearl Couscous Salad with Lemon Asparagus and Tomato
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 5 • Size: little over 1 cup • Old Points: 3 • Weight Watcher Points+: 4 pt
Calories: 170 • Fat: 4 g • Carb: 30 g • Fiber: 5 g • Protein: 6.3 g • Sugar: 0.0 g
Sodium: 10 mg (without the salt) • Cholest: 0 mg
Ingredients:
- 6 oz whole wheat pearl couscous
- 3/4 lb thin asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed
- 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1/4 cup red onion, minced
- 1-1/2 lemons, juiced
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add asparagus and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove with a large slotted spoon and rinse in a colander in the sink under cold water to stop it from cooking. Add the couscous to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.
Chop it into small 1/2 inch pieces. Drain the couscous and rinse under cold water, place in a large bowl.
Add the chopped asparagus, tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper to the bowl. Taste for salt and pepper and serve room temperature or chilled.
Makes 5 1/2 cups.