Sometimes, the food is all about the texture. And there’s something about little pearl-sized pasta that’s light and refreshing.
We’re talking Israeli Couscous. Light, fluffy, simple and super satisfying. This couscous is larger and more pasta-like that Moroccan Couscous – I just really love it this way. And it just doesn’t get easier than making this in your Instant Pot!
Serve it as a main or a side; hot or cold. Whichever you choose, you cannot go wrong with this wonderful and simple dish.
Here’s How I Made It!:
Begin with a small red and yellow pepper (you can use really whatever color pepper you want – I just think these look pretty together)…
…take half of each pepper…
…and dice it up.
Now go to the Instant Pot and add in some butter.
Once it’s melted, take some Israeli (or Pearl) Couscous (I like using the Tri-Color style)…
…and add it to the pot…
…along with the chopped peppers.
Stir everything up so the couscous and peppers are coated in the butter and allow to toast for a minute in the pot.
Then, add in some chicken broth…
…stir well, secure the lid and cook at high pressure.
When done, the couscous will have cooked perfectly!
Take a fork or serving spoon and fluff the couscous out…
…and transfer to a serving bowl where you can dig in and enjoy!
Serve it right away when it’s nice and hot OR serve it later as a nice, cool couscous salad! Either way, feel free to dress it up as you wish with any additional seasonings, salad dressing or sauces from other dishes. So awesome and easy.
Instant Pot Israeli (Pearl) Couscous
There are few things more adorable and fun to eat than Israeli (Pearl) Couscous. It's much larger than typical couscous but oh so satisfying.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp of salted butter
- 2 cups of Israeli (or Pearl) Tri-Color Couscous
- Half of a small red bell pepper, diced
- Half of a small yellow bell pepper, diced
- 2.5 cups of chicken broth (I used 2.5 tsp of Chicken Better Than Bouillon + 2.5 cups of water)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- A sauce (from any dish) or dressing of your choice to drizzle over, if desired (a light red wine vinaigrette is lovely)
Instructions
- Add the butter to the Instant Pot, hit “Sauté” and Adjust so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting. Once it’s melted, add in the the couscous and peppers and coat in the butter and stir well for about a 1-2 minutes so the couscous becomes lightly toasted
- Add in the chicken broth and stir well
- Hit “Keep Warm/Cancel,” secure the lid and hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” High Pressure for 6 minutes. Quick release when done
- Fluff the couscous when done with a fork (as you would my white rice) and transfer to a serving bowl
- Serve as a side or a main, feeling free to add some seasoning (salt & pepper) to taste and even adding a splash of a red wine vinaigrette dressing. This is also great to pour sauce from any dish over
- Enjoy!
Jeffrey's Tips
Season it up however you wish when done! That can include any sauce you may have leftovers from, a salad dressing of your choice or just eat it nice an lightly on it’s own!
Want more veggies in there? Go for it! Add whatever you want (mushrooms, peas, onion, spinach tomatoes, etc) and sauté with the butter before adding in the couscous!
Feel free to toss in a little chicken breast/thighs too! You can cook it with the couscous so long as you add about 1/2 pound of tiny pieces or you can just add in some previously cooked shredded chicken and mix it in before serving!
Tastes great hot OR cold!
monaW
I used Moghrabieh that I got from my Middle eastern store and it was very good. (that’s what I had on hand) The balls are a little larger than Israeli Couscous and next time I’ll add one more minute or let the pressure come down naturally for a couple because they were just a tad bit too chewy, but still good. Hubby loved it. I sauteed the peppers with a small chopped onion and 8 oz of chopped mushrooms that I had to use up first until they released all their water and started to sizzle before adding Moghrabieh to toast it. The liquid amount (2.5 cups) was spot on. Added a bunch of chopped cilantro, juice of a lemon and some olive oil to finish. Thank you Pressure Luck!