Israeli Couscous Salad

My family and I love to make and create new recipes – a new dish to try can make an average weeknight much more fun. My Mom & I were always swapping recipes and sharing tips, tricks, and our favorite kitchen gadgets with one another. Our favorite place to shop together was Crate & Barrel – we spent countless hours in this store together and it will always be our place. This recipe is a staple at our house, it is fresh and easy. It can also be modified to be vegan if you omit the parmesan cheese without losing any of the delicious flavor this dish has to offer. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. Israeli or pearl couscous (1 1/3 cup dry)
• 1 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 shallots diced
• 1 clove of garlic diced
• 2 cups of fresh or frozen corn
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup of fresh Italian parsley diced
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
• Zest from two lemons
• Optional topping: shredded or shaved parmesan

Step One: Make the Israeli couscous according to the package directions. Instead of using water use the 1 3/4 cup of chicken stock, this adds a lot of great flavor. I’ve also made this enough to know to let my couscous simmer for ~10 minutes before removing it from the heat, much longer and it sticks to the bottom of the pan.

Step Two: While the couscous is simmering saute the diced shallots and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until fragrant. Add corn and saute until the corn is slightly browned.

Step Three: In a large glass or salad bowl zest the lemons, add lemon juice, and the 1/2 cup parmesan cheese together and mix. Add the couscous and mix. Then add in the corn mixture, parsley and cherry tomatoes. Optional: Top with shredded or shaved parmesan for a little extra flavor.

Step Four: Serve immediately. We like to make homemade garlic bread on the side since it’s a lighter dish. Enjoy!