Whole Wheat Couscous with Apple, Walnuts, and Pomegranate

I love autumn for lots of reasons, but I specifically love late autumn because that's when pomegranates start to be on sale. I know some people say that the time it takes to get all the arils out and the membranes away from them is not worth it, but it totally is. I love pomegranates. So good. And apples? Well, let's just say that being born and raised in Upstate New York, where apple orchards are plentiful ensured that I want to eat apples all the time.
Also, want to know something that's weird? Everything here in PA is cheaper than in New York. Except apples. They're at least twice as expensive. It's insane.
Anyway, I got the inspiration for this dish when I saw someone had made thyme scented barley, and I thought that was super neat. Like, why not?
I do have a bag of barley on the pantry shelf, but I definitely don't have the patience to cook it most of the time, so I decided on an alternative. And whole wheat pearl couscous was where it's at. A genius substitution, if I do say so myself.
One thing I love about this dish is that it can go with pretty much anything and everything. We first paired it with kielbasa, and then another time with fish. I've had it with a sandwich, and all by itself, with a fruit cup on the side. This little dish outshines EVERYTHING I put it with. It's probably the perfect side.
Oh, and the bonus? It's good hot OR cold. If I have some for lunch the next day, I'll give it a thirty second shot in the microwave to get rid of the refrigerator chill, and it's perfect.
Oh, and it's vegan, if you care about that kind of thing.
So, what are you waiting for? Make this dish. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat pearl couscous
1 1/4 cup water
3 fresh sprigs thyme
1 fuji or honeycrisp apple, skin on, cut into cubes
The arils from 1 pomegranate
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
dried parsley
olive oil

Directions:
In a small or medium saucepan, bring the water (with a touch of salt) to boil. Add thyme and couscous and reduce heat. Cover and simmer 8-10 minutes, until water is absorbed.
Meanwhile, dry toast the walnuts by adding them to a pan on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant (do not use oil to toast nuts!).
When couscous is cooked, remove thyme sprigs (many of the leaves will likely have come off) and discard. Add a small amount of olive oil and stir to prevent couscous sticking together.
Stir in nuts, pomegranate arils, and apple.
Serve garnished with parsley.