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Israeli couscous, also commonly known as pearl couscous, giant couscous, or ptitim, is a beautifully round grain used to make a ton of delicious recipes. It adds a very unique texture as well as a ton of delicate earthy flavors.

These pearls are often used to make mouth-watering salads, rich and flavorful kinds of pasta, creamy risottos, or a wide variety of other grain-based dishes.

Today, we will be looking at some of these fantastic recipes and many more!

If you want to see our 11 favorite Israeli couscous recipes, keep reading! Hopefully, you will find a new family favorite amongst them or even be inspired to make something new!

1. Israeli Couscous Chickpea Salad

Who doesn’t love a good salad! Our very first recipe is a basic salad made using Israeli couscous. But, basic doesn’t always mean boring!

This chickpea salad contains a ton of juicy and flavorful ingredients with a variety of textures, and even more importantly, beautiful colors. After all, we do eat with our eyes first!

The main ingredient for this recipe is obviously the Israeli couscous, but what we love about it is that it also gives you some alternatives to make it more interesting.

You can substitute or even simply add some orzo pasta, quinoa, or acini di pepe.

This recipe uses some deliciously marinated tomatoes that are flavored with red pepper flakes, black pepper, and minced garlic – all very simple ingredients that create a flavor punch.

We also have some kalamata olives, some chickpeas, crumbled feta cheese, and lastly, delicious fresh herbs.

And, what salad is complete without a delicious dressing? This is an extremely easy-to-make vinaigrette. Combine all of the ingredients in a jar, whisk it together, and serve!

This is a fantastic and healthy salad option that you can even make in advance!

It will only take you about 15 minutes to make and assemble, and about 15 minutes to marinate in the vinaigrette (although this is optional). Then you can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days!

This recipe makes a delicious lunch, dinner, or even an accompaniment to many other dishes. And better yet, it is extremely versatile and you can easily substitute, add or remove any ingredient.

2. Creamy Mushroom and Israeli Couscous

If you are looking for a delicious, hearty, creamy, and cheesy fall dish, you have just found it! This dish reminds me a lot of creamy cheesy risotto, but we are using Israeli couscous instead!

It is the ultimate comfort food that will make you want to snuggle up under blankets and enjoy a nice glass of red wine.

This recipe also doesn’t take that long to make. A tip that will save you even more time is to precook your Israeli couscous and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to use them.

This way you can simply grab them and add them to the recipe.

The other ingredients used to create the deep complex flavors include Cremini mushrooms, some yellow onions, yogurt, butter, and some seasoning ingredients.

These ingredients are proof that you don’t need much to create amazing flavors.

Instead of using Cremini mushrooms, you can really use any mushroom of your choice. We love using a mix of exotic mushrooms that usually includes shiitake mushrooms, king oysters, and shimeji mushrooms.

Another thing we love about this recipe is that you can very easily make it vegan! Like the instructions suggest, simply substitute the butter and yogurt with vegan butter and a non-dairy yogurt (like coconut yogurt).

This recipe makes a fantastic accompaniment, however, you should also consider using it as a filling or stuffing – it is just as delicious!

3. One Pot Garlic Couscous Chicken

There are few things we live for in this world and one-pot meals are certainly on the list! It makes meal prepping a lot less chaotic and reduces the number of dishes you need to clean afterward.

Now, this is a dish that will take some time to make, but it is perfect for a Sunday lunch or dinner.

The long and slow cooking time allows the chicken to evenly cook and absorb all the delicious flavors of the sauce. You can also pre-make this recipe and simply keep in it the fridge.

This recipe makes use of roasted garlic, a personal favorite ingredient and one we wish we incorporate into more of our recipes.

However, if you want to cut the cooking time in half, you can use normal garlic and skip the roasting, which takes about 45 minutes.

We would however recommend following the recipe. The flavors are very well-balanced, rich, and complex. By removing even one of these ingredients, it will change the entire dynamic.

This is a very easy recipe to make and mostly depends on cooking ingredients at specific times. There is a ton of flavor in the seasoning ingredients like red pepper flakes, white wine, tomato paste, and saffron.

The vegetables used in this recipe are also very aromatic and include onions, celery, and zucchini. Not only do they add flavor, but a pop of fresh color.

4. Tomato and Basil Israeli Couscous

This is another one-pan recipe that is extremely easy to make and has a bunch of delicious yet simple flavors.

Think of this dish like a delicious cheesy tomato pasta – that is basically what it is! But arguably, much healthier!

You can whip up this recipe in less than 20 minutes, and it only uses 6 ingredients!

These include the Israeli couscous, some fresh tomatoes to make a delicious authentic sauce, fresh basil and some basil pesto, garlic, and finally, some cheese.

You can choose which you want to use, but we suggest using both the mozzarella cheese and the parmesan cheese. It adds a very authentic Italian taste and adds the creamy and cheesy texture you want.

What makes this recipe so unique and versatile is its simplicity. You can easily add virtually any ingredient and it will blend it seamlessly.

You can add roasted and shredded chicken, some seafood, meatballs, or other vegetables like asparagus, artichokes, broccoli, or zucchini.

The possibilities are endless and you can adjust the recipe every night to create a new and exciting version to meet your needs.

5. Vegetable Minestrone with Israeli Couscous

Who doesn’t love a good filling soup? This minestrone uses classic and authentic ingredients but has a few twists to it.

It takes about the same amount of time to prepare compared to other soups, but what we love about this specific recipe is that it is packed with flavor!

You have a bunch of seasoning and aromatic ingredients like onions, garlic cloves, celery, carrots, chicken stock, and dried herbs like thyme and oregano.

Then, of course, we have hearty vegetables like zucchini and tomatoes that add the balancing flavors.

This soup is also bulked up with kidney beans, and then of course the Israeli couscous. Finally, you can garnish the soup with some fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese.

This soup is a fantastic recipe to use as a base for many others. You can add as many vegetables and variety as you’d like, and also even add meat.

We love adding some mince to keep the finer texture, however, many people prefer adding stewing beef.

This soup isn’t blended and does have some texture, but that is one of the things that makes it so unique and well-loved.

6. Lemon and Artichoke Couscous with Shrimp

This Israeli couscous recipe makes us feel like we are on vacation! It is a very quick and easy recipe that will take you only 10 minutes to make!

It consists of three main components; first, we have the Israeli couscous that is cooked in chicken broth for a ton of added flavor.

Then, we have the shrimp base which is made with simple sautéed vegetables and aromatics, and lastly the shrimp. Buy prepared and deveined shrimp to make your prep time considerably shorter.

Lastly, we have a delicious lemon and herb dressing that will give this recipe its final touch and refreshing flavor.

What we love most about this recipe is the unique balance of flavors it uses. The artichoke adds a very earthy and slightly tart flavor, and the shallots and broth add a sweetness and umami profile.

Then finally, the shrimp and dressing help tie those unique flavors together, leaving you with a delicious meal for any occasion.

7. Roasted Butternut and Israeli Couscous Pilaf

Pilaf is another classic side that goes great with any accompaniment. However, the traditional rice dish can quickly become boring and repetitive. So, why not mix it up a bit?

This pilaf uses Israeli couscous to add a different texture and flavor. It also uses very Mediterranean ingredients like butternut squash, kalamata olives, mint, and toasted sliced almonds.

The blend of spices used is also extremely well balanced and very easy to adjust.

This is a very quick and easy dish to make that will make a wonderful, well-balanced side dish for many meals. You can also definitely use it as a filling for wraps or even quesadillas, but it can also be served as a meatless main.

This recipe is very easy to store and can be served cold, at room temperature, or even reheated and served warm. We love a flexible recipe and this one will easily adapt to your needs.

8. Lemony Green Israeli Couscous Salad

Here we chose another delicious and refreshing summer salad, but what makes it stand out from others is its incredibly beautiful appearance and all the healthy ingredients it uses.

Before we even discuss this recipe, we want to mention that it is incredibly versatile. You can very easily substitute any ingredient, remove it completely, and even add a wide variety of vegetables or meats.

So, the recipe itself only contains beautiful fresh green ingredients. Amongst these are cucumber, arugula salad leaves, and a delicious green basil salad dressing.

The addition of feta adds both salty and sweet flavors and a different texture.

As we said, this is a versatile salad, so feel free to add in some seeds, cured meats, other vegetables like green bell peppers or zucchini ribbons.

It is the perfect salad if you are looking to cut down on calories without necessarily eating a smaller meal. The couscous helps make it hearty and extremely filling.

9. Stuffed Eggplant with Couscous Filling

We love stuffed food! No matter which base of filling you choose, they are always extremely filling, usually colorful, and absolutely packed with flavor.

Roasted eggplant is a family favorite in this house, so naturally, we felt very attracted to this recipe. It adds a very umami flavor with hints of sweetness.

What takes the longest in this recipe is roasting the eggplants. Luckily, they are extremely easy to roast and don’t require a lot of steps. Once they have been fully cooked, you can assemble the filling and stuff them.

The filling boasts Mediterranean flavors and includes ingredients like allspice, bay leaves, cinnamon, and parsley. Then, the bulk of the filling consists of roasted eggplants, mixed with cooked Israeli couscous and some crumbled feta cheese.

Lastly, the whole dish is garnished with fresh pomegranate seeds to add crunch and delicious juicy sweet flavors.

This is definitely a comfort food we regularly make and is a very healthy alternative to pizzas, kinds of pasta, and other fried foods.

10. Shakshuka

We LOVE Shakshuka! There are a lot of delicious recipes on our list today, but this Shakshuka is one of the most flavorful.

It is a dish that can take some time, but it is definitely worth the wait! The sauce is the base of the recipe and has very complex flavors.

It uses a ton of spices and aromatics including garlic, harissa paste, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes. Then, of course, we add some tomatoes.

The sauce is very forgiving and can even be made in advance to save you a bit of time. Even though the recipe only requires about 15 minutes of simmering, the longer you cook the sauce, the more intense and complex the flavors will become.

Once the sauce has cooked, you can add the couscous and broth and allow them to cook inside it. This will help them absorb the flavors.

Lastly, you can add the eggs and cook them until the whites are set. Baste the eggs so they are fully immersed in sauce.

Feta and parsley bring a delicious, refreshing flavor and adds some alternative textures as well.

11. Chicken and Pea Israeli Couscous

Our last recipe, but certainly not least, is this delicious chicken and pea Israeli couscous dish. We would describe it as kind of a pasta, however, many people serve it as a salad or even use it as a filling.

It is another extremely quick and easy recipe that can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes. To make it, simply cook the Israeli couscous in chicken broth for that intense savory flavor.

Then you season it with some delicious parmesan cheese and some salt and pepper.

Simply stir in some scallions, peas, and the shredded cooked chicken, and just like that, a delicious and healthy dish that can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days.

Like most of the recipes on the list today, this one is also very flexible and you can definitely substitute or add additional ingredients to make it your own.