Caprese Couscous Salad

# What You Need:

→ Couscous

01 - 1 cup pearled Israeli couscous

02 - 1.25 cups water

03 - 0.5 teaspoon salt

04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Salad

05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

06 - 1 cup fresh mozzarella balls, halved

07 - 0.25 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

08 - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

09 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Dressing

10 - 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze

11 - 1 teaspoon honey, optional

# Directions:

01 - In a medium saucepan, bring water, salt, and olive oil to a boil. Add pearled couscous, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes until tender and water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool to room temperature.

02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled couscous, halved cherry tomatoes, halved mozzarella balls, and torn basil leaves.

03 - Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and toss gently to coat. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.

04 - Transfer salad to a serving platter or bowl. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and optionally add honey if the glaze is very tangy.

05 - Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for 30 minutes for a chilled presentation.

# Expert Tips:

01 -

The pearled couscous has this incredible chewy texture that soaks up the balsamic dressing like tiny flavor sponges
You can throw it together in under 30 minutes but it tastes like something from a fancy Italian restaurant
It travels beautifully and actually tastes better after the flavors hang out for a while

02 -

Room temperature couscous is crucial or your cheese will start melting into the salad and lose that distinct fresh texture
The balsamic glaze is concentrated vinegar so a little goes a long way, start light and add more as needed
This salad needs at least 15 minutes for flavors to meld but don't let it sit longer than a few hours or the tomatoes get weird

03 -