Name: Pearl Couscous with Chorizo and Chickpeas
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces Spanish-style chorizo sausage, cut into ½‐inch pieces; 2 cups pearl couscous; 2 teaspoons smoked paprika; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 2⅔ cups chicken or vegetable broth; 4 carrots, peeled and chopped; 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry; ½ cup chopped fresh parsley; ½ cup raisins; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving

Why This Recipe Works

This salad comes together very quickly once the couscous is cooked since you simply need to add the remaining ingredients. First, we toast pearl couscous in a skillet with chorizo and carrots and then stir in broth with some smoked paprika and cumin and let the couscous cook through absorption in the covered skillet. Creamy canned chickpeas contrast with the chewy pasta and add heft, while parsley freshens up this warm, spicy dish. Raisins provide even more textural contrast as well as sweetness, and a squeeze of lemon juice brightens all these beautiful flavors.

Before You Begin

Pearl couscous is sometimes labeled Israeli couscous. You will need a 12‐inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.

Instructions

Cook 8 ounces Spanish-style chorizo, cut into ½-inch pieces, in 12‐inch stainless-steel skillet over medium heat until fat begins to render, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cups pearl couscous, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, and 2 teaspoons ground cumin and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in 2⅔ cups chicken or vegetable broth and 4 chopped carrots, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until broth is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Let sit off heat, covered, for 3 minutes.

Stir in 2 (15‐ounce) cans rinsed and dried chickpeas, ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, ½ cup raisins, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges.