This Israeli Couscous Salad Recipe combines couscous with delicious veggies, seasonings, and feta cheese for a delightful vegetarian dish you'll love. Make this easily and quickly in your Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker.
What Makes This Israeli Couscous Recipe So Great
Not a lot of people think of couscous when they think of amazing dishes, but they really should. This is one of those recipes that makes your mouth water while you cook couscous.
Every step of this recipe (and there aren't very many) will have you anticipating it in your bowl so you can shovel it in your mouth. Or maybe that's just me!
Warm corn and peas mixed with the flavorful couscous with the added crunch from the red onion, and the creamy feta cheese makes this the side dish of your dreams!
How To Make This Israeli Couscous Salad
- Saute. Turn the Instant Pot on Sauté. When it is hot, add oil. To the hot oil, add cumin seeds and turmeric and allow them to sizzle for 10 seconds. Press CANCEL.
- Add veggies. Add onion, peas and carrots, couscous, salt and garam masala.
- Cook. Close the lid and select PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for 3 minutes. Allow the pot to rest undisturbed for 5 minutes, and then release all pressure immediately.
- Finish. Mix in chopped red onion and feta cheese and serve.
Yes, all couscous is pasta.
For traditional couscous, all you need to do is rinse with hot water to rehydrate it since it has already been cooked. If you're making Israeli couscous, you will need to boil for a short period of time since it is not precooked. Since it is a very tiny pasta, it will cook in very little time. If you're using your Instant Pot, you'll want to cook for ZERO minutes under high pressure.
Israeli Couscous has several different names you can find it under. The most common name is Ptitim, but it's also called Jerusalem couscous, giant couscous or pearl couscous.
All couscous is pasta. Like other pasta, it's made from semolina flour mixed with water.
If you buy regular couscous, that pasta has been precooked and then dried. That is why typically all you have to do is moisten it with hot water and let it rehydrate.
Israeli couscous is also a pasta--but it's larger and hasn't been precooked. It requires boiling in hot water to cook.
Well, that depends on who you ask. Couscous is high in carbohydrates, so it's not great for a Keto diet. However, it is high in protein and fiber, so it can be a good addition to your diet if you're not watching carbs.
What's is in this Isreali Couscous Pilaf Recipe?
So I made up this recipe of course. My version includes Isreali couscous, peas, corn, carrots, turmeric, garam masala (and other spices) and is finished with red onion and feta cheese.
How Long Does It Take To Make Isreali Couscous?
- Isreali Couscous. In the Instant Pot, you are looking at no more than 3 minutes under pressure with a 5-minute natural release for Israeli couscous.
- Regular Couscous. For regular couscous, you can set the pressure cooker to 0 minutes under pressure and quick release.
Tips and Tricks for Making this Israeli Couscous Pilaf Recipe
- Wait until serving to add the cheese and onion for best results.
- Know what to buy. This is what Israeli couscous looks like.
- Tricolor. I often like to use this tricolor couscous to add a little more visual appeal to the dish.
- Regular couscous. Do not substitute regular couscous in this dish.
- Orzo. You can, however, substitute orzo if you prefer.
- Water absorption. The Couscous will continue to absorb water for a while after you cook it. So if you open the pot and see a little water left in there, just let the pasta sit in the pot for a few minutes.
- Chilling. Sometimes if I'm in a hurry, I rinse the couscous under cold water to chill it before adding the onions and cheese.
How To Serve Couscous Salad or Couscous Pilaf
Couscous Salad
- Cook. Make the recipe according to the directions below.
- Chill. Let cool in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Mix. Add in red onion and feta cheese before serving.
Couscous Pilaf
- Cook. Make the recipe according to the directions below.
- Mix. Add in red onions and feta cheese before serving.
- Serve. This recipe makes a great side for chicken.
What To Serve With This Pearled Couscous
- Air Fryer Thai Peanut Chicken- A flavorful air fryer recipe.
- Keto Chicken Tenders- Kids love these dipped in my Big Mac Sauce.
- Pecan Crusted Chicken- A twist on low carb chicken.
- Brazilian Chicken- International flavors that come together in a flash.
- Chicken Adobo- A great main course.
- Chicken Tikka Bites- Family-friendly Indian cuisine.
Looking For More Great Vegetarian Instant Pot Dishes? Check These Out!
- Barley Pilaf With Mushrooms - A delectably savory side dish.
- Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash - One of the tastiest spaghetti squash recipes out there!
- Farro Risotto With Butternut Squash - The savory and sweet flavors of fall in one delightful dish!
- Instant Pot Harira Soup - A deliciously authentic Morrocan stew.
- Instant Pot Baingan Bharta Eggplant Dip - A wonderful smoky Eggplant Bharta in your Instant Pot.
- Eggplant Pasta - Seriously one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever had!
- Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili - The perfect dish for a cool Fall or Winter day.
- Low Carb Broccoli Cheese Soup - An effortlessly easy take on a delicious classic.
- Mushroom Mascarpone Pasta - One of the creamiest, tastiest pastas I've ever had.
So if you're looking for an incredible side dish, or vegetarian meal, this Israeli Couscous Salad is the dish for you! Make it in your Instant Pot and you'll never make it another way!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1/2 cup Onion, diced
- 1 cup Peas And Carrots
- 1 cup Israeli Couscous
- 1 cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
For Finishing
- 1/2 cup Red Onion. chopped, chopped
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot on Sauté. When it is hot, add oil. To the hot oil, add cumin seeds and turmeric and allow them to sizzle for 10 seconds. Press CANCEL.
- Add onion, peas and carrots, couscous, salt and garam masala. Add water and stir well.
- Close the lid immediately, and select PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for 3 minutes. Allow the pot to rest undisturbed for 5 minutes, and then release all pressure immediately.
- Mix in chopped red onion and feta cheese and serve.
- Wait until serving to add the cheese and onion for best results.
- This is what Israeli couscous looks like.
- I often like to use this tricolor couscous to add a little more visual appeal to the dish.
- Do not substitute regular couscous in this dish.
- You can, however, substitute orzo if you prefer.
- The Couscous will continue to absorb water for a while after you cook it. So if you open the pot and see a little water left in there, just let the pasta sit in the pot for a few minutes.
- Note that this recipe uses very little water. If you are using an 8 quart pressure cooker, you may want to double the recipe and increase water to 1.75 cups.
- If your seal is at all faulty, and you find the pressure cooker hissing steam but not coming up to pressure, thump the top of the lid. Often this is enough to make the pressure valve pop up.
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Nutrition
Don't forget to check out my other Best-selling Instant Pot Cookbooks!
Indian Instant Pot, Keto Instant Pot, Instant Pot Fast and Easy, Healthy Instant Pot & Vegetarian Instant Pot.
Michelle
So quick and easy. Whole family including 3 teens enjoy this. Thank you!
URVASHI PITRE
That’s great to hear!
Susan
I’ve read instructions about 6 times looking for when to put liquid in the IP. No mention of liquid. Only place liquid mentioned is 1 cup water in the ingredients. You might want to put “add 1 cup water” when you mention putting couscous in IP.
Love your recipes. I have your book...
URVASHI PITRE
Uh oh! Oversight on my part. Thanks for letting me know! I will fix