Couscous Salad
Yield: 6 servings
Calories: 203kcal
Mediterranean couscous salad with a fresh lemon herb dressing. Tossed with colorful vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and garbanzo beans.
Ingredients
Couscous
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup (170 g) instant couscous
Salad
- ½ cup (81 g) diced roma tomato, ¼" dice
- ½ cup (71 g) diced english cucumber, ¼" dice
- ½ cup (73 g) diced red bell pepper, ⅛" dice
- ½ cup (85 g) canned garbanzo beans, rinsed
- ¼ cup (32 g) minced red onion
- ½ cup (35 g) kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- 2 tablespoons (20 g) feta cheese
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon chopped mint
- 1 teaspoon chopped basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Lemon Dressing
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the Couscous - In a medium saucepan, bring water, salt, and olive oil to a boil over high heat. Add the couscous and stir quickly. Turn off the heat and cover. Let it stand until tender, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool. For faster cooling, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate.
- Assemble the Couscous Salad - In a large bowl, combine cooled couscous, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, garbanzo beans, red onion, olives, cheese, parsley, mint, basil, and oregano.
- Make the Lemon Dressing - In a small bowl, whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and whisk until a thickened dressing forms.
- To Serve - Pour the dressing over the salad. Gently stir to combine. If desired, garnish with more cheese and herbs.
Notes
- Recipe Yield: About 4 cups
- Serving Size: About 2/3 cups
- Couscous Options: This recipe uses instant Moroccan couscous. Whole wheat, Israeli (pearl), or Lebanese couscous can be substituted.
- Vinegar Substitution: Use white wine vinegar, apple cider, or sherry vinegar.
- Extra Dressing: My readers love to double the lemon dressing recipe—reserve half to serve on the side for additional flavor.
- Make it Low-Carb: Use 2 1/2 cups cauliflower rice instead of couscous. Serve raw or saute and cool before adding to the salad.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Use quinoa instead of couscous.
- Make-Ahead: Assemble the salad ingredients in a bowl. Wait to add the dressing, whisking before adding it to the top.
- Storing: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 573mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 510IU | Vitamin C: 19.6mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 0.6mg
Recipe Link
Recipe Video