Makes about 3 cups
1 cup Israeli couscous (see note)
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 to 1 1/2 cups diced mixed spring vegetables such as carrots, peas, fava beans, fennel, spring onions, baby artichokes or a combination, blanched or sautéed as appropriate (see note)
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a small pot over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the couscous and cook, stirring regularly, until nicely browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add water to cover the couscous, plus one extra cup (be careful; the water hitting the oiled couscous may bubble quite furiously). Bring to a boil and cook, stirring regularly, until all the water is absorbed and the couscous is tender (add more water as necessary), 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Stir in the remaining ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Notes
Israeli couscous may be hard to find in a run-of-the-mill supermarket, but it’s at many smaller, more specialty stores and, of course, anyplace specializing in Middle Eastern ingredients. If you can’t find it, substitute softened bulgar wheat or softened regular couscous and just skip right to stirring everything together.
Pre-prepare your vegetables so that they’re ready to be stirred into the cooked couscous. In other words, if you’d rather not have the big crunch of carrot or fennel in your tabbouleh, soften it first with a blanch or sauté. Baby artichokes and fava beans should definitely be pre-cooked. Spring onions, on the other hand, might be better in their raw form, adding a gentle crunch.