Caprese Couscous Salad (Print version)

Tender pearled couscous tossed with fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil, and balsamic glaze for a perfect Mediterranean dish.

# What you’ll need:

→ Couscous Base

01 - 1 cup pearled (Israeli) couscous
02 - 1 1/4 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Salad Components

05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 1 cup fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), halved
07 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or sliced
08 - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
09 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Dressing

10 - 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze (store-bought or homemade)
11 - 1 teaspoon honey, optional if glaze is very tangy

# Steps:

01 - Bring water, salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil to a boil in a saucepan. Add pearled couscous, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes until couscous is tender and water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and let cool to room temperature.
02 - In a large bowl, combine cooled couscous, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and toss gently. Season with black pepper.
03 - Transfer salad to a serving platter or bowl and drizzle with balsamic glaze. If desired, add a touch of honey to the glaze for extra sweetness. Serve immediately, or chill for 30 minutes for a refreshing cold salad.

# Cooking tips:

01 -
  • The combination of warm fluffy couscous and cool juicy tomatoes creates this incredible temperature contrast that makes every bite interesting
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes but tastes like something from a restaurant patio in Italy
  • You can make everything ahead except the final drizzle and it still tastes freshly assembled
02 -
  • Resist the urge to skip the cooling step because warm couscous turns this into a weird melted cheese situation nobody asked for
  • The balsamic glaze needs to be thick and syrupy not watery vinegar or it will make everything soggy instead of glossy and beautiful
03 -
  • Buy the actual balsamic glaze instead of trying to reduce balsamic vinegar yourself unless you have extra time and patience
  • Tear the basil by hand instead of cutting it because metal knives can make the basil taste weirdly bitter
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