Karl’s Vegan Israeli Couscous Almandine

Wife Jan is on the Noom Program and I made an Israeli couscous salad packed full of vegetables and fruit for the Fourth of July. It was so popular with my family that wife Jan asked me to make some for her dance in the park potluck this Sunday.  Last time, I listed a vegan option for the salad, but Jan thought some of her friends might be vegan, so I made a new, strictly Vegan salad. Of course in my ultimate need not to make the same dish the same way twice in a row, I made some changes.

Note: Almondine means to garnish with almonds.

Karl’s Vegan Israeli Couscous Almandine

Ingredients

Couscous

2 Tbs. olive
1 ½ cups Israeli Couscous
1 large green onion, sliced thinly

1 can (14.5 oz.) vegetable broth
1 tsp. oregano
1 bay leaf
½ tsp. black pepper

Dressing

2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar

½ Tbs. raw agave syrup
1 tsp. oregano
¼ tsp. black pepper
Pinch Kosher salt
Pinch yellow mustard powder

Salad

½ cup sliced almonds
½ tsp. olive oil

1 large Persian cucumber, role cut
1 cup orange bell pepper, ½ inch dice
1 cup red bell pepper, ½ inch dice
1 cup yellow bell pepper, ½ inch dice
1 cup parsley, chopped finely
½ cup Zante currents
1 large green onion, sliced thinly
10 dried black mission figs, stemmed and quartered

3 fresh black mission figs, stemmed and cut two into six wedges, for garnish

Directions

Couscous

1. Heat the oil in a medium pan and toast the couscous over a medium heat until many of the pasta pearls are starting to brown.

Tip: You want to start the couscous early, so that it can cool completely before you add the vegetables and fruit.

2. Add the green onion and continue to toast the couscous until the pearls are well browned and the onions are wilted.

3. Add the broth, oregano, bay leaf, and pepper.

4. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the pasta is al dente and the liquid has been absorbed, about 10-15 minutes.

Tip: After the pasta is cooked you can set the pot in the refrigerator to speed the cooling process.

Note: Do not under cook the pasta. Test the pearls and continue cooking until the hard centers of the large couscous pearls are completely soft.

Dressing

5. Put the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, pepper, salt, and mustard in a small lidded jar and shake to combine.

Tip: Shake the jar occasionally to keep the dressing emulsified.

Note: The dry mustard acts as an emulsifier to keep the oil and vinegar from separating.

Salad

6. Heat the remaining oil in a small skillet and toast the almonds until well browned.

Tip: Set the almonds aside to cool.

Note: Remove the almonds from the pan, so that the residual heat does not burn the almonds.

7. Measure and chop the vegetables and fruit into small bite-sized pieces.

8. Add most of the almonds, the vegetables, fruit, and dressing to the couscous and toss to coat and combine.

Tip: Let the salad meld for 10 minutes.

Note: Save some of the almond slices for the garnish.

9, Garnish with the fresh fig wedges, the almonds and place a whole fresh fig in the center.

10. Serve slightly chilled.