Israeli Couscous Jewel Salad

Difficulty: Easy

Serves 6+

This is the first of my Christmas recipes that I’ll be sharing with you over the next couple of weeks. Red pomegranates and green pistachios give this jewel salad a real festive look and against the texture of the Israeli couscous, it’s like a Christmas party in your mouth! The salad can be prepared in advance, so you can throw it together and shove it in the fridge until it’s time to eat.

Ingredients

• 3 cups Israeli couscous
• 3 3/4 cups boiling water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 pomegranate
• 1 1/4 cups raw pistachios
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Combine the Israeli couscous and boiling water in a large saucepan, allow to simmer for about 6-8 minutes until the couscous is cooked through.
2. Drain and rinse the couscous in cold water. Once the couscous has cooled down a little, stir in the olive oil and white wine vinegar as well as the salt and pepper.
3. Cut the pomegranate into four segments. Fill a bowl with cold water and break each segment apart under the water to extract the seeds. The membrane will come to the top and the seeds will sink. Drain off the water and membrane.
4. Add the red onion, pomegranate and pistachios to the couscous and stir through. Pop the salad in the fridge until you’re ready to serve!