Summer Couscous Salad

The salad you're going to want to eat all summer long- summer couscous salad! Loaded with tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, mint and Israeli couscous.

When it comes to summer, we like to keep it simple: grilled protein, grilled sweet potatoes, and a big summer salad. This summer, we'll be eating this couscous salad recipe on repeat!

This Israeli couscous salad just screams summer: it's loaded with tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, red onions and fresh mint. Sprinkle some feta cheese and toss it all up with a honey lemon vinaigrette and you are SET!

The flavors (and textures) of this salad are hard to beat. Salty feta, sweet tangy honey lemon vinaigrette, the crunch from the veggies and they chewy Israeli (aka: pearl) couscous. Pure heaven.

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How to make it

This salad is simple but has three components to prepare. You can have it ready in under 30 minutes!

• the couscous- you're going to need pearl couscous (or Israeli couscous) for this salad. They are larger than normal couscous and can be found with the rice or pasta, or possibly in the ethnic foods section. For this recipe, we cook our couscous in chicken stock for extra flavor!
• the veggies- tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and red onions. You can add in your favorite veggie, this salad would work great with grilled zucchini among other things.
• the dressing- my favorite honey lemon vinaigrette, which is the same one I used for this Kale Barley Salad from years back.

1. cook your couscous- then let it cool.
2. chop all your veggies.
3. shake up your vinaigrette
4. toss it all together and enjoy!

I can't find Israeli couscous. Can I use something else for this couscous salad recipe? Sure! Use regular couscous, quinoa, or barley! Or you can leave it out and make this a veggie salad.

Can I make this salad recipe ahead of time? Unfortunately couscous salad does not keep well. Since the mint really won't keep and the veggies get slimy a few hours after tossing in the vinaigrette, this salad just won't work for meal prep. That being said you can pre-cook the couscous and shake up the vinaigrette up to 4 days ahead.

Can I turn this salad into a meal? Absolutely! Add some chicken or salmon and increase your portion size.

Serve it with

This salad goes so well with a number of dishes on Sweet Peas and Saffron. Here's what I serve it with:

• Chicken- our go-to recipe is this Perfect Baked Chicken Breast
• Salmon- we love serving with this Herb Crusted Broiled Salmon
• Grilled pita or naan bread- just toss them on the grill for a few minutes before serving. It would go great with this Super Speedy Tzatziki Sauce!
• Chickpeas- add some of these Instant Pot Chickpeas for a vegetarian option

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

Summer Couscous Salad

5 from 5 votes

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

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This summer couscous salad is loaded with tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, mint, and Israeli couscous. A delicious and light vegetarian meal to enjoy all summer long!

6 servings

Ingredients

Couscous

• ▢ 1 cup Israeli couscous sometimes called pearl couscous
• ▢ 1 ¾ cups stock or broth
• ▢ 1 pinch salt

Vinaigrette

• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon djion
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ▢ zest of 1 lemon
• ▢ salt & pepper

Salad

• ▢ 1 large bell pepper chopped; or 2 small
• ▢ 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes cut in half
• ▢ 1 long english cucumber chopped
• ▢ ¼ red onion finely chopped
• ▢ ½ cup fresh mint chopped & loosely packed
• ▢ ½ cup feta cheese crumbled

Instructions 

• Cook Couscous - Combine the couscous, stock, and salt in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, or until all water has absorbed into the couscous. Run couscous under cold water and set aside to cool completely.
• Vinaigrette - Shake up all ingredients for the vinaigrette including olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, dijon, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.
  
• Assemble - Toss the cooled cooked and cooled couscous with the vinaigrette and all remaining ingredients.
  

Tips:

Storage 

This salad does not keep well, however, the couscous and vinaigrette may be prepared up to 4 days ahead.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/6 of batch, Calories: 236kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 185mg, Potassium: 274mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1050IU, Vitamin C: 37.3mg, Calcium: 89mg, Iron: 1.1mg

Author: Denise Bustard

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean

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