Steps to Make Natural Colors Of Pearls

Pearl Couscous Salad

Blue pearls come from saltwater oysters and are extremely rare.

Recipe Summary Pearl Couscous Salad

This is a take-off of a pricey deli salad that my family loves. Using ingredients at home, it is much more affordable so we can enjoy it more often. Store salad in the fridge, covered, for up to a week.

Ingredients | Natural Colors Of Pearls

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 cups pearl (Israeli) couscous

2 ½ cups water

½ cup French lentils

water to cover

2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, diced

1 small cucumber, seeded and diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup golden raisins

⅓ cup diced red onion

¼ cup 1/2-inch slices of fresh chives (Optional)

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, or more to taste

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon ground sumac (Optional)

¼ cup olive oil

2 lemons, juiced

2 tablespoons honey, or more to taste

salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir couscous in the hot oil until toasted and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups water to couscous and bring to a boil; cover skillet and cook until couscous is tender, about 10 minutes. Rinse couscous in a colander with cold water and transfer to a bowl. Mix 1/4 cup olive oil into couscous and stir to coat.

Place lentils in a small pan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and rinse lentils under cold water in a colander; add to couscous.

Mix tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, cranberries, raisins, red onion, chives, parsley, green onion, and sumac into couscous-lentil mixture.

Beat 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper together in a bowl; pour over couscous-lentil mixture and stir until coated. Refrigerate salad for flavors to blend, 8 hours to overnight.

Sultana can be substituted for the golden raisins.

The sweetness of the dressing is entirely a personal choice. I like it a bit tart and my kids like it a bit sweeter.

Info | Natural Colors Of Pearls

prep: 20 mins cook: 30 mins additional: 8 hrs total: 8 hrs 50 mins Servings: 6 Yield: 6 servings

TAG : Pearl Couscous Salad

Salad, Pasta Salad,

Images of Natural Colors Of Pearls

Natural Colors Of Pearls : Once thought of as rejects, baroque natural color akoya pearls were typically destroyed or ground up to be used as medicine.