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Home » Main Dish Recipes » Instant Pot Israeli Couscous

Instant Pot Israeli Couscous

September 5, 2020 By lalaine Leave a Comment

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Instant Pot Israeli Couscous is healthy, tasty, and easy to make in the pressure cooker. With mouthwatering flavors and soft, chewy texture, this Mediterranean side dish is sure to be a dinner favorite!

Instant Pot Israeli Couscous topped with feta cheese in a white bowl
Instant Pot Israeli Couscous

If you’re looking for a quick and easy side dish that delivers plenty of flavors, this pressure cooker Israeli couscous needs to be on your meal rotation. It’s ready in minutes and makes a refreshing alternative to potato, pasta, or rice.

This Mediterranean salad is a flavorsome and wholesome dish the whole family will love. The delightful chewiness of the pearls combined with savory Feta cheese, citrusy lemon, and fragrant dill is a combination that’s sure to hit the spot!

carton of chicken stock, lemon, dried dill, crumbled Feta cheese, and Israeli couscous

Israeli Couscous is also called pearl couscous and Jerusalem couscous in the U.S. and “Ptitim” in Israel. Although often mistaken for whole grain due to its appearance and use, it is a type of pasta and made from durum wheat semolina.

Although initially a factory-made substitute for rice during the food scarcity in Israel in the 1950s, pearl couscous soon became a well-loved kid food. What started as a practical solution has gained popularity in other countries and is now widely used in salads, soups, risotto, pilafs, and other grain or pasta-based dishes.

The tiny balls have a nutty flavor from the toasting process, which lends well to various additions such as vegetables and greens, root crops, cheeses, sauces and dressings, and herb and spices.

uncooked pearl couscous with dried dill in the Instant Pot

Variations

There are three common types of Couscous which vary in size and cook time. There are also a lot of similar varieties, depending on the region. Some are made from farina, coarsely ground barley, pearl millet, large wheat grain, or even cornmeal. Surrounding areas of West Africa have a version made from grated cassava.

  • Moroccan Couscous has the tiniest grains of semolina. It is slightly bigger than cornmeal and the quickest to cook
  • Israeli Couscous or Ptitim is pellet-sized semolina and takes longer than a Moroccan couscous to cook.
  • Lebanese Couscous or Moghrabieh is the largest. It is similar to peas in size and takes the longest to cook.

serving cooked Israeli couscous with a large plastic spoon from the pressure cooker

Cooking tips

  • Pearl couscous is pre-toasted during processing, but you can further enhance the flavor by sauteing the dry pasta in oil or butter until lightly browned.
  • To give the dish a splash of color, use tri-color couscous.
  • For a vegetarian version, swap the chicken broth with vegetable broth or water and the feta cheese with garbanzo beans.
  • When cooked, fluff the couscous with a fork to loosen clumps.

pressure cooker pearl couscous in a white bowl with feta cheese

Servings suggestions

  • This pearl couscous salad can be enjoyed warm or cold. It makes a delicious and satisfying side dish or bulk it up with garbanzo beans and veggies such as diced cucumbers and halved cherry tomatoes into a hearty meal-in-itself.
  • Keep leftovers in a covered container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
  • To make ahead, pressure cook the pasta and store separately from the cheese. Toss all the ingredients when ready to serve.
Instant Pot Israeli Couscous topped with feta cheese in a white bowl
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3.29 from 14 votes

Instant Pot Israeli Couscous

Pressure Cooker Pearl Couscous with Feta cheese, lemon, and dill is wholesome and flavorsome side dish the whole family will. So easy to make and ready in minutes in the Instant Pot!
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time5 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: Instant Pot Israeli Couscous, pearl couscous
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 253kcal
Author: lalaine

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Israeli/ pearl couscous
  • 1 1/4 cup chicken broth or water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 lemon

Instructions

  • In the Instant Pot, place the pearl couscous, broth, olive oil, and dried dill.
  • Close the lid and set the valve to the SEALING position. Pressure cook on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes.
  • Once cooking time is finished, do a QUICK RELEASE.
  • Using a fork, fluff the couscous and transfer to a large bowl.
  • Add the crumbled Feta cheese and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Toss to combine.
  • Serve warm or cold.

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 483mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 79IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 1mg

 

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Filed Under: Main Dish Recipes, Pressure Cooker Recipes Tagged With: couscous

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Lalaine from The Recipe Pot

My name is Lalaine and I am the resident food lover here at The Recipe Pot where you'll find pressure cooker, crock pot and air fryer recipes to help you prepare fresh and tasty home-cooked meals with ease. Read more...

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