Couscous Salad With Dried Apricots and Preserved Lemon
Updated August 11, 2016
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
3 cups Israeli (pearl) couscous, whole-wheat or regular
1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
¾ teaspoon coarse kosher salt, more to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper
¾ cup chopped dried apricots
¾ cup torn fresh mint leaves
⅔ cup coarsely chopped fresh dill
⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste
½ cup chopped scallion, white and light-green parts
2 ½ tablespoons chopped preserved lemon
Fresh lemon juice, to taste
Chopped pistachio nuts, for garnish (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
40 grams carbs; 297 calories; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 13 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 126 milligrams sodium; 6 grams protein; 5 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add couscous and cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, in a small dry skillet, toast cumin seeds until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Lightly crush them using a mortar and a pestle (or use the flat side of a heavy knife and a cutting board). Add to a bowl with the warm couscous, vinegar, salt and pepper and toss well. When the couscous is cool, add remaining ingredients and mix well. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice or oil if needed. Garnish with pistachio nuts if desired.
Private Notes
Comments
The 3 cups couscous is uncooked. After you have cooked it in Step One you should have about 6 cups total yield. The portion size is 1/2 cup so the 12 servings estimate is correct.
The amount of cooking water isn't specified because the point is to boil the couscous as you would cook pasta...in a large volume of salted water so the couscous has room to tumble and not stick together.
Yes to rinsing preserved lemons before using...what you want is that complex citrus flavor, not a salt bomb.
I find that toasting the Israeli couscous in about a tablespoon of olive oil before adding water helps keep them from turning gummy. As an alternative, try Fregola instead of Isreali couscous.
The saltiness may be caused by not rinsing the preserved lemons with water before chopping them. The salt they are preserved in is way too overpowering if not removed before preparing.
this was excellent. I only cook for myself so I divided everything by three, added a can of navy beans and a generous handful of golden cherry tomatoes to make a meal. let it meld all day, brought to room temp to serve. fabulous.
I don't know why "Israeli Pearl couscous" is specified in the recipe. I used organic M'hamsa Couscous (made in Tunisia) which requires no salt in the water and no browning in oil first as others have suggested). A six minute boil and the water absorbs completely without sticking plus 1 Tbsp oil added after draining ensures no sticking as it cools. Wonderful blend of flavors and textures in this excellent recipe. I served it cold with hot broiled shrimp on top.
This salad is delicious. I didn’t have and couldn’t find preserved lemons, and it was still great. I added the chopped apricots while the couscous was warm to soften them up a bit, and I nearly doubled the fresh herbs — they really makes this!