Instant Pot Pearl Couscous and Lentil Salad

User Reviews

4.6

114 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    1 hr

  • Cook Time

    mins

  • Total Time

    1 hr 15 mins

  • Servings

    4 as main or 8 as a side dish

  • Calories

    510 kcal

  • Course

    Lunch, Dinner

  • Cuisine

    American

Instant Pot Pearl Couscous and Lentil Salad

Balanced, flavorful, and enjoyable—this recipe has it all.

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Ingredients

Servings

Couscous and Lentils

  • 1 cup French green Puy lentils, soaked for 1-2 hours*
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup pearl or Israeli couscous
  • 3 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Handful of fresh thyme sprigs

To Finish

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 small bunch of fresh dill (about 1 cup), finely chopped
  • 1 cup fresh Italian-flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 15 pitted green olives, sliced
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
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Instructions

  1. Soak the lentils in water to cover for 1-2 hours. Drain the lentils.
  2. Place the soaked and drained lentils, onions, bell peppers, carrots, garlic, couscous, vegetable broth, salt, pepper to taste, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs in the Instant Pot and stir well to combine.
  3. Secure the lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Select the Pressure Cook setting at high pressure and set the cook time to 3 minutes.
  4. Once the 3-minute timer has completed and beeps, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes and then switch the Pressure Release knob from Sealing to Venting to release any remaining steam.
  5. Open the pot and discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
  6. Transfer the couscous-lentil mixture to a large bowl and allow to come to room temperature.
  7. To the couscous-lentil mixture, add the extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, dill, parsley, olives, tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and taste for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper as needed, or a splash more vinegar for acidity.

Notes

  • * In the recipe in my cookbook, I mention you should soak the lentils for 8 hours before using them, but I’ve found that soaking for just 1-2 hours is sufficient. The soaking step is necessary to soften them up, as they get cooked for just 3 minutes in the Instant Pot, which is the ideal cook time for pearl couscous.

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 510kcal (26%) Carbohydrates 82g (27%) Protein 22g (44%) Fat 12g (18%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 8g Sodium 763mg (32%) Potassium 1163mg (33%) Fiber 22g (88%) Sugar 10g (20%) Vitamin A 8910IU (178%) Vitamin C 131mg (146%) Calcium 111mg (11%) Iron 7mg (39%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4as main or 8 as a side dish

Amount Per Serving

Calories 510 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 510kcal 26%
Carbohydrates 82g 27%
Protein 22g 44%
Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 8g 40%
Sodium 763mg 32%
Potassium 1163mg 25%
Fiber 22g 88%
Sugar 10g 20%
Vitamin A 8910IU 178%
Vitamin C 131mg 146%
Calcium 111mg 11%
Iron 7mg 39%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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User Reviews

Overall Rating

4.6

114 reviews
Excellent

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