November 6, 2011

Israeli Couscous Salad with Butternut Squash

Name: Israeli Couscous Salad with Butternut Squash
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 cups of Israeli couscous; boiled (until fully cooked, drained in a colander,); and rinsed with cold water.; 4-6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 bunch red Swiss chard (rinsed and chopped, sliced thin); 1 small organic zucchini (sliced); 1 small bunch of flat leaf parsley (you can use basil, as well); salt and freshly ground pepper to taste; 1 tsp of rice vinegar (or other mild vinegar); 1 1/2 pound butternut squash (peeled and seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice)

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Israeli Couscous Salad with Butternut Squash is one of my favorite fall salads. Made with sweet butternut squash, and healthy Swiss chard and zucchini. Even your kids will enjoy this!

I think I can find a recipe to make every day of the week with pumpkins and squash. Sweet or savory, they are happily welcomed in our kitchen in the cooler days of fall.

We make pasta almost every day. On some days I like to change things up a bit and make Israeli Couscous salads. I love to eat them at room temperature and the ingredients can be changed according to the season.

Healthy and delicious, this is a dish even my kids love. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you have to give this recipe a try.

What is difference between Israeli Couscous and regular couscous?

Regular Couscous is made from semolina and they steam it before they dry it. You’re probably like me and first learned about couscous by eating the convenient instant one. You just add the boiling water and in not even 5 minutes you have lovely couscous ready.

Israeli Couscous, also called Ptitum and pearl couscous was created in Israel. It was created at a time when rice was not so easy to find for everyone and the Osem food company created a hard wheat flour based small balls to replace rice. It was much larger than North African couscous and they even shaped it first to look like rice and then it became the small balls we know today. Very popular with children in Israel and very popular here in the States. Just look for it at your local market or even Middle Eastern specialty market.

You could serve this salad warm, or at room temperature, and it truly gets better as the flavors meld together.

Printable recipe below.

Israeli Couscous Salad with Butternut Squash

2 cups of Israeli couscous
boiled, until fully cooked, drained in a colander,
and rinsed with cold water.
4-6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch red Swiss chard, rinsed and chopped, sliced thin
1 small organic zucchini, sliced
1 small bunch of flat leaf parsley (you can use basil, as well)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tsp of rice vinegar, or other mild vinegar
1 1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled and seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475°F.

Toss squash with 1 tablespoon oil and salt to taste in a large shallow baking pan and spread in 1 layer. Roast in upper third of oven 15 minutes, or until squash is just tender, and transfer to a large bowl (don’t overcook).

Swiss chard: Rinse the leaves well in water. Then cut the last half-inch or so off from the ends of each stem. Add 2-3 inches of water into the bottom of a 4 or 5 quart sauce pan, and put on the stove on high heat. You can chop up the rinsed leaves and stems while the water comes to a boil. In a medium sauce pan, when the water is boiling well, pack the chopped greens into the pan and cover with a lid. Reduce heat to medium and let the greens steam for 10-11 minutes.

While the squash and chard is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and cook the onions and zucchini over medium-high heat with a bit of salt until the onions are translucent.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the Israeli couscous until tender, about 10 minutes.
When the chard is tender, drain and add to a large serving dish. Add the onions and zucchini.

Scrape the butternut squash into the bowl.Drain but don’t rinse the Israeli couscous and add to the large serving dish.

overhead image of yellow vegetable with cous cous

Mix together with olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste. Mix together the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and fold in gently all the other ingredients.

Can be served at room temperature.Refrigerate any leftovers.

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