This pretty little gem of a recipe is the kind of meal my dreams are made of: simple to make, beautiful to look at, impossible to stop eating after one bowl, and perfect as a side dish or full meal.
It also includes all of my favorite ingredients… so maybe my opinion is biased.
Roasting the tomatoes and garlic brings out incredible natural flavors from the already wonderful ingredients. I’ve been obsessed with roasting tomatoes all Summer, and I’m not stopping anytime soon. Olives and fresh herbs (hello mint, parsley, and thyme!) made this dish undeniably awesome in the flavor department! The small speckles of couscous absorbed all the beauty of each ingredient gorgeously.
P.S. This was my first go with couscous, I am – again – a woman in love! I don’t know where these tiny dots of pasta have been hiding from me, but we have some major making up to do. If you want to make this dish vegetarian friendly, cook the couscous in vegetable stock instead of the chicken stock.
I made this as a side dish to some heartier fare, but somehow there still was not much of this left by morning…
I snuck bites all night long during quick “water” breaks to the kitchen. I was totally caught each time. But I can live with the shame pride of eating half of this alone… it’s really that good!
Pearl Couscous with Olives and Roasted Tomatoes –Â Gourmet |Â September 2002
For roasted tomatoes and dressing
- 2 pints red grape or cherry tomatoes (1 1/2 pound)
- 3 large garlic cloves, left unpeeled
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For couscous
- 2 3/4 cups chicken broth
- 2 1/4 cups pearl (Israeli) couscous
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Â
Roast tomatoes and make dressing:
Preheat oven to 250°F.
Halve tomatoes through stem ends and arrange, cut sides up, in 1 layer in a large shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pan. Add garlic to pan and roast in middle of oven until tomatoes are slightly shriveled around edges, about 1 hour. Cool in pan on a rack 30 minutes.
Peel garlic and purée with oil, water, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup roasted tomatoes in a blender until dressing is very smooth.
Make couscous:
Bring broth to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan and stir in couscous, then simmer, uncovered, 6 minutes. Cover pan and remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes.
Spread couscous in 1 layer on a baking sheet and cool 15 minutes.
Transfer couscous to a bowl and stir in remaining ingredients, dressing, roasted tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste.
Cooks’ note: ·Roasted tomatoes, dressing, and couscous can be made 1 day ahead and kept separately, covered and chilled. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.
Kim of Mo'Betta says
This looks SO good!
bakerbynature says
Thank you, Kim. It really really was.
Jeanette says
Love all the ingredients in this recipe. I have a huge bag of whole wheat Israeli Couscous that I would love to try a batch of this with.
bakerbynature says
This recipe is a great way to use up that big bag of yours; let me know if you try it!
Baker Street says
Beautiful. Just beautiful.
bakerbynature says
Thank you, dear.
Sarah says
This is so beautiful! I have some whole wheat pearl couscous in my cupboard and I think I’ll be making this for lunch! Love your blog by the way!
bakerbynature says
Hi Sarah! I’ve yet to try whole wheat pearl couscous, but I bet it will taste lovely. I hope you do make it for lunch soon; I enjoyed every bite of mine.
Liz says
Oh, I adore Israeli couscous and it looks amazing in this lovely salad! LOVE your blog~
bakerbynature says
Thank you so much Liz; it’s always great to know people enjoy their time here 🙂
Charles says
Beautiful dish – so colourful and delicious looking. I love couscous and with roasted tomatoes and the parsley inside… yum!
bakerbynature says
Thanks, Charles! I’ve said it before, and i’ll say it again: roasted tomatoes are my life.
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
This looks delicious-and I love that bowl too as it really brings out the vibrancy of the ingredients too! 🙂
bakerbynature says
I went back and forth on what bowl to use for this, and I’m glad this one showcased the dish so beautifully.
Kristy says
I have a complete couscous obsession going lately! I’m printing this one off and making it next week. It looks delicious – I like the idea of roasting the tomatoes. 🙂
bakerbynature says
Kristy – Yay! Certain recipes are so good it makes me beam to know someone else will be enjoying their glorious taste too – enjoy!
Kay, The Church Cook says
oh, this looks so wonderful to me! Love the colors and texture of this dish. Great recipe, Ashley.
bakerbynature says
Hi Kay! It was wonderful, indeed. The couscous definitely adds great texture and blends lovely with the tomatoes and olives.
Vicki Bensinger says
This dish looks perfect, healthy and very Mediterranean. The best part is it’s so simple to prepare. What a lovely photo and the bowl is perfect for the dish.
Glad I found your blog!
bakerbynature says
I adore dishes light on work, heavy in flavor. Glad you found me, too!