House favorite pearl couscous salad
On a hot, hot day, one where no one wants to be stuck in the kitchen longer than necessary, the clock ticked closer to dinner time. With absolutely no game plan in place, I did what I knew best - put my head into the fridge and scanned the produce drawers, the cheese drawer (yes, we have a dedicated cheese drawer, don’t you?) to see what needed to be used up. Luckily, I had some roasted beets from a previous evening, and block of halloumi cheese. Things seem to be working out for me and the fam - a salad in the making. Now you’d think that I could now pour myself a glass of wine and pat myself on the back, but not quite yet! The caveat, will our 3-year-old want to eat this salad? Sure, Dana will eat almost anything I make without complaints but our kiddo who loves, plain pasta and frozen sliced bread, is a bit more discerning. I opened the door to our pasta drawer (yes, we have one of those too) Shells, penne, spaghetti? A bag of pearl couscous hidden behind a box of farfalle called to me.
This jeweled toned salad is a party on the palate - sweet from the beets, salty and crispy from the pan-fried halloumi, fresh from the cucumber and herbs, slightly chewy from the pearl couscous, and brightened by the red wine vinaigrette. It’s become a family favorite and can be adapted for the changing seasons (check out our seasonal suggestions after the recipe), and made ahead of time.
A few notes:
Roasted beets
If you have never attempted to make roasted beets, fear not. I’m here as your as your cheering section. You can do it! It’s a fairly easy, mostly hands-off process, yielding sweet, tender, and flavorful beets. Much better than canned and vacuum sealed steamed beets, I promise!
Pearl Couscous
Pearl Couscous, Israeli Couscous, or Ptitim was an invention of the Osem Food Company during Israel’s food austerity period in the 1950’s, devised to give the people an alternative to rice. It became widely accepted and loved especially by children. Pearl couscous or Israeli Couscous is a semolina pasta made by extruding tiny pearl sized dough through a mold, before it is cut and toasted. The toasting gives the couscous its chewy texture and nutty flavor.
Halloumi
Halloumi is a semi-firm cheese from Cyprus, traditionally made from goat's and sheep's milk. Similar in texture to paneer and mozzarella. Its flavor is tangy and salty, due to being brined. Halloumi becomes transformed once crisped in a pan or on the grill. The cheese becomes crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, while retaining its shape. We love to use it in place of croutons in salads or grilled vegetables, and grilled and drizzled with EVOO and za’tar. It can be found in many specialty grocery, and even Trader Joe’s during the summer months. A family favorite, we panic when we don’t have Halloumi in our cheese drawer.
House favorite pearl couscous salad
Salad ingredients (serves 4 as main course)
3 small red beets, leafy tops removed
3 Persian cucumbers or 1 small English cucumber, diced
1 1/2 cups Pearl Couscous
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8.8 oz. Halloumi cheese, about 1/3” x 1/2” cubes
1/2 cup Mint leaves, torn
1/4 cup Green Onions, thinly sliced
Red wine vinaigrette (makes about 1 cup)
1 medium Shallot, finely minced, about 4 tablespoons
1/4 cup Red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3/4 teaspoon, Kosher salt
Generous pinch of Ground Black pepper
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Scrub the beets until clean. Thoroughly wrap the beets in heavy duty aluminum foil, as the beets will steam roast in the foil. Place the wrapped beets on a rimmed baking sheet, roast for 40 to 50 minutes.
While your beets are roasting, boil 4 cups of water in a medium pot. Salt the water (your pasta water should taste as salty as ocean water). Once the salt water comes to boil, add your couscous and cook according to package instructions. When ready, drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside to drain again.
Beets are done when a knife or fork slides easily to the center of the beet. Keep in mind that small beets will cook more quickly than large beets. Set the beets aside in foil until cool to the touch. We like to use dish washing gloves (keeps your hands from staining) to rub the skin away from the beet. It should peel away easily. Dice beets and set aside.
Make your dressing. Combine finely minced shallot, and red wine vinegar in a tall glass jar with secure lid. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, this will help the vinegar draw out the juices from the shallot, and make your dressing tastier. After 5-10 minutes, add the Dijon mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper. Secure the lid to the jar and shake vigorously. Once the dressing looks emulsified, taste for seasoning. *Go light on the salt, it takes a while for salt to dissolve in an oil mixture.
Heat a 12” skillet to med-high heat. Pour 2 tablespoon of Olive oil into your hot pan. And quickly place the halloumi cheese in the pan, being careful not to crowd the pan. Watch out for the splattering, this will subside after the liquid from the cheese has cooked off, about 1 minute into cooking. Check your cheese at the 3-minute mark, you want a nice golden-brown color. Flip the cheese and sear the other side until golden brown. Once both sides are browned, place the cheese on a plate and continue browning the rest of the cheese. Set aside.
To assemble, place couscous, beets, cucumbers, halloumi, herbs and 2/3 cup of red wine vinaigrette (don’t leave behind the shallots, they add little bits tanginess to your salad) in a large bowl and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and/or more vinaigrette. Enjoy!
Additional Notes:
*This salad can be made a day ahead and put in the fridge overnight. Toss in the halloumi & herbs right before serving. You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of vinaigrette to brighten up the salad.
Seasonal adaptation for beet and cucumber:
Summer - sliced strawberries, diced avocado, and arugula.
Winter - segmented citrus and diced fennel
