Israeli Couscous Salad

Name: Israeli Couscous Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Israel
Ingredients: 1.5 cups Israeli (pearl) couscous; 1 cucumber, diced; 2 tomatoes, diced; 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced; 1/4 cup fresh parsley and mint, chopped; 1/3 cup crumbled feta; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp lemon juice; Salt and pepper, to taste

4 servings20 min prep10 min cookEasy Israel

♡ Sign in to save Print / Save as PDFPro

The Story Behind It

The Tale of Israeli Couscous Salad

Story updated September 17, 2026

Israeli couscous (ptitim) was reportedly developed in the early 1950s at the request of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, when rice was scarce, as a wheat-based substitute nicknamed "Ben-Gurion rice." Salads built around the toasted pasta pearls became popular as the product later spread internationally.

Ingredients

Scale:· 4 servings

1.5 cups Israeli (pearl) couscous
1 cucumber, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley and mint, chopped
1/3 cup crumbled feta
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1Toast the couscous in a dry pot for 2 minutes, then boil in salted water according to package instructions until tender; drain and cool.
2Combine the cooled couscous with cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, and mint.
3Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper for the dressing.
4Toss the salad with the dressing.
5Fold in crumbled feta just before serving.
6Chill briefly or serve at room temperature.

Want Cook Mode, your own recipe photos, and unlimited calculators?

Get Home Cooking Pro

Comments

Loading comments…