Pearl Couscous Cherry Salad

Posted on by Ben | Havocinthekitchen
Pearl Couscous Cherry Salad

This Pearl Couscous Cherry Salad with a lavender maple dressing is a delicious, satisfying, and fresh salad with subtle floral notes.

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Pearl Couscous Cherry Salad

Cherry Season Ain’t Over Yet!

Helooooo everyone. How are you doing? I’ve just realized that there’s just a little bit over a month left until official autumn. Whaaaaat? I cannot say I will be really upset about that (Indeed I am getting excited about upcoming apple and pumpkin season), but that’s just unexpected. That also means, as a food blogger, I am getting less time for my summer recipes. And as I’ve mentioned this few times, I have so many quite lovely summer ideas I want to share. Many. I mean that. Probably enough till Christmas season (If I were to share them all, but that won’t happen of course.)

Long story short, I should focus on sharing as many summer ideas as possible for the next month or so.

While the cherry season is almost over, you can still find some beautiful cherries. At least they’re available here in Nova Scotia. And I would totally hate myself for not sharing another cherry recipe with you. Because everyone loves cherries, right? Besides, this also contributes to the lavender season (Which is going to be EPIC this summer) on Havoc In The Kitchen.

Pearl Couscous Cherry Salad

So let’s enjoy this Pearl Couscous Cherry Salad. Wait – how is it relating to lavender, some of you might ask? Very much. It’s served with a luscious with a lavender maple dressing.

I know some of you could be skeptical about lavender in savoury recipes, but trust me it works nicely. In the past, I used lavender for another salad dressing for this Quinoa Peach Lavender Salad.

lavender and cherries have a strong affinity as well as lemon. Also, maple syrup, which is a part of the dressing goes well with both lavender and cherries. And even though this might sound surprising, lavender and pasta have a pretty strong affinity too.

Pearl Couscous (Israeli Couscous)

By the way, in case you are not familiar, pearl couscous (Also known as Israeli couscous) and true couscous are similar yet different thing. Both made with semolina flour and water, but the size, texture, and cooking methods are different. While the taste won’t be exactly the same, you can use true couscous, if you wish – just adjust the cooking method and time accordingly. You can also check another salad you might like – Cherry Couscous Salad.

I hope you love this Pearl Couscous Cherry Salad, and you will give it a try while the cherry season lasts. If you make it, let me know in this post or send me an Instagram message or share you photos adding the hashtag #havocinthekitchen.

Cheers for now!

Pearl Couscous Cherry Salad
Pearl Couscous Cherry Salad
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Pearl Couscous Cherry Salad

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Steeping / Chilling the Dressing

1

hour

This Pearl Couscous Cherry Salad with a lavender maple dressing is a delicious, satisfying, and fresh salad. Serves 2 as the main course, 4 to 6 as a side dish.

Ingredients

  • Lavender Maple Dressing:

  • 2 tbsp. maple syrup

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil

  • 1 tsp. lemon juice

  • a pinch of salt

  • 1/4 tsp. dried lavender buds or 1/2 tsp. fresh lavender, minced (See Step 1)

  • Pearl Couscous Cherry Salad:

  • about 1/2 cup of pearl (Israeli) couscous

  • about 1 cup of water (For cooking couscous)

  • a pinch of salt (For couscous)

  • about 1 and 1/2 cup cherries, pitted

  • few handfuls of spinach or other leafy greens

Directions

  • Lavender Maple Dressing:
  • Simply combine all ingredients in a small bowl and let it stand refrigerated for about an hour then discard the lavender using a fine sieve mesh. The lavender aroma will be subtle. You can also blend all these ingredients using an immersion or regular blender. In this case, you don’t need to steep the dressing, and you can use it right away. This will also result in a stronger lavender flavour. The third way would be using fresh lavender buds (1/2 tsp., roughly chopped), and in this case you won’t need to discard the flowers as they less potent than dried lavender buds.
  • Pearl Couscous:
  • Cook the couscous as instructed on the package. While the cooking method might vary, generally you will need the ratio 1:2 (So 1/2 cup of couscous to 1 cup of water.)
  • Add water to a medium-sized pot. Bring liquid to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Stir in Israeli couscous and salt. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or so (As with pasta, it should be al dente). Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes, or until it reaches your desired tenderness. You can let it cool naturally or simply rinse under running cold water for a few second then drain well.
  • Pearl Couscous Cherry Salad:
  • Simply combine the cooked couscous, cherries, and spinach. Add the dressing and mix well to coat. Serve right away or refrigerate until ready serve. Enjoy!

16 thoughts on “Pearl Couscous Cherry Salad”

  1. Valentina says:

    I appreciate your celebration of summer cherries. They are so beautiful and lovely in your recipes. And I’ve always been a fan of pearl couscous. This salad is so interesting with such a great combination of flavors and textures. :-) ~Valentina

    Reply
  7. Catherine says:

    I could live on cherries they’re as delicious as they are gorgeous, and they look fabulous in this salad! I can also imagine the lavender is lovely with the couscous, what a lovely mingling of flavors!

    Reply

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