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Tomato-Harissa Toasted Pearl Couscous with Mint
This bright, zesty dish stars harissa, North Africa’s smoky-spicy chili condiment, as well as fresh mint, tangy lemon, sweet-tart tomatoes and briny olives. Toasting the couscous before cooking it brings out its nuttier notes; dressing it while warm ensures maximum flavor absorption. The couscous, after tossing with the tomatoes and olives, can be covered and refrigerated up to eight hours; bring to room temperature before serving, then stir in the mint. Delicious as both an easy side dish and simple dinner, we love topping the mix with high-quality oil-packed tuna and fresh greens.
4
Servings
40 minutes
20 minutes active
Ingredients
-
1½
cups pearl couscous
-
¼
cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
-
01In a medium saucepan over medium, combine the couscous and oil. Cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add 3 cups water, the lemon zest, 2 teaspoons harissa, 1½ teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the couscous has absorbed the liquid and is tender, 10 to 13 minutes.
Reviews
July 8, 2026
Yummers
I read the previous review, so I was a little leary going into this. I made some basic adjustments like cooking the couscous a little bit longer. It was still looser than what I'm used to when I added it to the tomatoes, and it got really loose after that, and I thought, "Uh-oh. ". And then the magic happened: After waiting 15 minutes, the couscous had absorbed 99% of the liquid, which was perfect in my opinion. Moral of the story: Be patient and don't panic. Everything will be fine. And the flavors of this are off the chart.
April 22, 2024
Good - not great, but may just need to play with flavors?
I made this tonight, and it was just too much liquid for the recipe. I even let it cook for another 5 minutes to get that down—maybe it needs to be strained afterward, but it felt like a lot of flavor to lose. I also think a milder olive (maybe a castelvetrano?) would meld better with the flavors than a strong, briny one. Otherwise, it's a good bit of spice from the harissa, and an easy recipe with just a few key ingredients, I will definitely be trying this one again. It would make a great picnic or side dish.
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