We know, we know—another salad recipe. But one thing that is true about this blog is that we cook and post about what we actually eat (and we eat a lot of hearty salads!) And for good reason—salads filled with whole grains, or in this case, tiny toasted pasta, make for a filling, healthy, and flavorful vegetarian meal.
This one in particular has some extra special elements, including a new take on pesto—no food processor required! You'll use your sharpest knife to chop everything together on a cutting board, resulting in a flavorful, chunky pesto that can be used in all kinds of ways. Toss it with pasta! Drizzle on a pizza! Eat it with a spoon! And hey—you never even got an appliance dirty.
Mixed with roasted broccoli (or your preferred veggie of choice—asparagus would be great for spring), roasted chickpeas, and chewy Israeli couscous, this is a dish that is sure to satisfy. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Israel Couscous Salad with Broccoli, Chickpeas, and Pesto
Serves 4
For salad
- 1 bunch broccoli (1 1/2 pounds), cut into small florets (about 4 cups)
- 1 15.5 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup dry Israeli couscous
- 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup grated Pecorino cheese
For pesto
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
- 1 small garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- juice and zest from one lemon
- kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place the broccoli and chickpeas side-by-side on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the broccoli is tender and lightly browned, tossing once, about 20 minutes.
Cook the couscous according to package instructions (we like to cook it in veggie stock, but salted water is also fine).
To make the pesto: Finely chop the basil, walnuts, and garlic; transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and season with salt and pepper.
Toss the couscous with the broccoli, chickpeas, walnuts, capers, and red pepper flakes. Stir in half the pesto. Taste and season with more pesto, salt, and/or pepper if necessary. Top with pecorino.
Recipe adapted from the Love and Lemons Cookbook