Herby Pearl Couscous and Sugar Snap Pea Salad

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published May 21, 2025

Herby Pearl Couscous and Sugar Snap Pea Salad
Joel Goldberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
5(205)
Comments
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The earthy and tangy flavors of tabbouleh serve as the loose inspiration for this lemony and herbaceous salad. Fresh parsley and mint are bright and grassy, offering a lovely textural contrast to the silky pearl couscous; dried mint adds depth. Juicy and sweet sugar snap peas supply a fresh crunch, with just a rough chop needed to release the inner peas. Allspice brings a moment of intrigue, both warm and complex, but you could substitute with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves or a little of each. This salad can be prepared up to several hours in advance (kept at room temperature); the flavors will meld and improve over time.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1large garlic clove, grated
  • ½small red onion, finely diced
  • 1lemon, zested, plus ¼ cup lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons) or more as needed 
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1½cups pearl couscous 
  • ½pound sugar snap peas, trimmed and roughly chopped
  • ½cup chopped mint
  • ½cup chopped parsley
  • 1teaspoon ground allspice 
  • 1teaspoon dried mint 
  • ⅓cup extra-virgin olive oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

453 calories; 19 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 61 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 479 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, red onion and lemon juice. Allow to sit while you prepare the remaining ingredients; this will tame the bite of the raw alliums.

  2. Step 2

    Bring a medium pot of salted water to the boil. Add the pearl couscous and cook according to package instructions until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain, refresh under cold water, then drain again.

  3. Step 3

    To the garlic and red onion, add the pearl couscous, sugar snap peas, lemon zest, chopped mint, parsley, allspice, dried mint and olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

  4. Step 4

    Taste and season with more salt, pepper and lemon juice, as needed. Serve at room temperature.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
205 user ratings
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Comments

Kristie

So good! Used sumac instead of all spice! 10/10

Karen Lee

This sounds delicious! I look forward to reading comments from those who have actually made the recipe. 😊 This reminds me of a Spring pea salad from Balducci's. It had some combo of snow peas, snap peas, pea shoots, and frozen peas with lemon juice, mint, and olive oil. They might still carry this. I might add thinly sliced white salad turnips and their greens, radishes, or both. And garlic scapes when they're in season.

Paul

Very tasty and fresh. Used slightly less allspice.

Jordan

Does anyone have a good suggestion for a grain substitution to make this gluten free?

Gail

I doubled the recipe as written and my guests loved it. I used Israeli-style turmeric pearl couscous which is a product of Canada, so the yellow and green colors were bright and attractive. Pearl couscous is actually toasted pasta.

Benji

Really enjoyed this. Only change I made was adding some RG Large White Limas for some protein to turn it into 'salad for dinner'.

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