Tender, chewy, and slightly nutty, pearl couscous (Israeli couscous) is an irresistible side dish that comes together in just a few minutes, with very little effort. Simply toast it in some good extra virgin olive oil and boil it in water or broth on the stove until tender. It’s as easy as that! You can enjoy pearled couscous at room temperature in a salad, or hot, tossed with some pesto or other sauces of your choice.
Prep time: PT2M
Cook time: PT14M
Rating
4.92 stars (34 reviews)
Keywords
how to cook pearl couscous, Israeli couscous
Ingredients
Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup pearl couscous
1 1/2 cups water
Kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, (optional)
Zest of 1 lemon, (optional)
Categories
Side Dish
Cuisine
Israeli
Steps
Toast the couscous: In a medium saucepan, heat about 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium-high until just shimmering. Add the pearl couscous and toss around to toast (the couscous pearls should turn a nice golden brown).
Boil the couscous: Boil 1 ½ cups of water and add it to the toasted pearl couscous. Season with kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Cover and cook for about 14 minutes or until the pearl couscous is tender. Remove from the heat.
Season and enjoy! Taste and adjust salt to your liking. To finish, add the parsley and lemon zest (optional), toss and serve.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 108.1 kcal
Carbohydrates: 22.2 g
Protein: 3.7 g
Fat: 0.2 g
Saturated Fat: 0.04 g
Sodium: 7.2 mg
Sugar: 0.02 g
Unsaturated Fat: 0.13 g
Reviews
Anna on 2026-09-25 (5 stars): I use a meal service company occasionally and one of their recipes calls for pearl couscous, but their instructions only say to use salt and boil in water for 15 minutes. I always assumed I didn’t like it/it was bad because of the recipe they gave me, but these instructions have been a big help! Toasting them beforehand makes a BIG difference! Thank you so much for sharing this :)
Kevin on 2026-05-20 (5 stars): The boiling water separately just speeds up the process. Add it to the toasted couscous and continue to boil covered with occasional stirring until it absorbs all the water. You can store it in the fridge in a tupperware and heat up in the microwave. Works great as a rice or pasta substitue with any sauce, meat, legume dish etc.
Kim on 2026-01-23 (5 stars): Easy and tasty side, very adaptable
Abigail on 2026-01-19 (5 stars): I make this at least twice a month…great switch out for rice in a lot of dishes. Easy & flavorful…toasting is the key!
Sarah on 2026-01-10 (5 stars): Perfect recipe! One of my staples and also love it for the next day :)
Mary on 2025-08-07 (5 stars): Absolutely delicious and so easy!
Janice on 2025-05-27 (2 stars): Couscous was mediocre, the instructions weren't great..if you're adding the boiling water to the toasted couscous then what is there to wait for? It's already boiled. There was excess water and there isn't proper instructions on how to store and reheat it..disappointed
Sarah on 2025-03-15 (5 stars): I've been on a pearl couscous kick for a month since I found it at the Bulk Barn (Canada) and have been preparing it this way each time. So good!
m3r1 on 2025-01-07 (5 stars): Excellent recipe! I added Lacinato Kale to steam on top and then mixed with the lemon zest and parsley - also added a squeeze of half the lemon. Perfect texture (for us!)
Alisa on 2024-12-23 (5 stars): You might as well just double or triple this recipe because it will get devoured! We use a no chicken chicken base as we are vegan. I haven’t made any significant alterations other than to toss in some garam masala, oregano, basil. It’s just so versatile and delicious.
