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Israeli Couscous Salad with Broccoli, Chickpeas, and Pesto

Roasted broccoli and chickpeas tossed with Israeli couscous, walnuts and capers, bound with a chopped lemon-basil pesto. Eats well warm or cold, and holds up for a few days in the fridge.

Serves 4 · salad · Mediterranean · vegetarian

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1 bunch broccoli, cut into small florets (about 4 cups); 1 1/2 pounds
  • 1 can chickpeas, 15.5 ounce can, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1 cup Israeli couscous, dry
  • ⅓ cup walnuts, toasted
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ¼ cup Pecorino cheese, grated

Pesto

  • ½ cup fresh basil
  • ¼ cup walnuts, toasted
  • 1 clove garlic, small
  • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 piece lemon, juice and zest
  • kosher salt and black pepper, freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Place the broccoli and chickpeas side-by-side on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the broccoli is tender and lightly browned, tossing once, about 20 minutes.
  3. Cook the couscous according to package instructions (we like to cook it in veggie stock, but salted water is also fine).
  4. To make the pesto: Finely chop the basil, walnuts, and garlic; transfer to a small bowl. Stir the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Toss the couscous with the broccoli, chickpeas, walnuts, capers, and red pepper flakes. Stir in half the pesto. Taste and season with more pesto, salt, and/or pepper if necessary. Top with pecorino.