Crunchy pistachios, buttery sautéed onions, chunks of chicken, sweet craisins, and plenty of citrus flavor fills each bite of this couscous “pasta” chicken salad. Served hot or cold, this is a make-ahead meal that I’ll be making all summer long. Israeli Couscous has become “that food” for me this year. I crave it again almost as soon as I make it. I keep boxes of pearl (or Israeli) couscous on hand in the pantry at all times. Pearl couscous are tiny round balls of pasta. They are slightly chewy, slightly nutty, and nothing at all like traditional couscous.
I’m not even a big pasta eater and I’ll eat pearl couscous all day long. Last week, I wanted to make my sister’s recipe for Israeli Couscous and I didn’t have time to run to the store for all the ingredients. As I tend to do, I improvised with the ingredients I had on hand and I also added some leftover cooked chicken to make it a heartier main dish. Sometimes, an empty pantry really is the best inspiration; this dish is delicious.
