This Mediterranean Couscous Salad is a light, fresh salad that mixes your favorite Mediterranean ingredients with couscous and a light lemon dressing. You will love the crunchy fresh vegetables, paired with the olives, feta cheese and fresh herbs. Add this alongside grilled chicken, steak or seafood!
You guys know my love for salads by now, especially Mediterranean inspired salads like today’s mediterranean couscous salad recipe. This is the perfect summer salad for a hot summer day.
When it comes to lunches during the week I have these type of salads on repeat. I love a simple salad and his one is great for meal prep.
Some of my all-time favorites are this Mediterranean Bean Salad, Lebanese Salata, Balela Salad and this Greek Quinoa Salad.
When I make these type of salads my favorite thing to do is to pair it with Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables, Tandoori Grilled Chicken and Lemon Hummus. You can also make this Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Chickpeas ahead of time and eat it for lunches during the week. It is the perfect side dish.
I use couscous in so many recipes like this Mediterranean Tuna Couscous Stuffed Peppers, Lemon Pearl Couscous recipe, Mediterranean Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad, Kale Couscous Pomegranate Salad or this Israeli Couscous Salad with Lemon Dressing.
What is Pearl Couscous?
Some people often think that pearl couscous is a whole grain but it is actually a type of pasta. s a type of small, round pasta made from semolina flour and wheat flour. It reminds me a little of orzo pasta. It would work great as a substitute in a lot of my pasta salads like this Summer Orzo Pasta Salad.
It is a great option because it is easy to make and a great base for so many ingredients. You can stir in roasted vegetables, feta cheese, roasted red pepper or artichokes. The sky is the limit!
Pearl couscous can be referred to as different things around the world. You might hear Israeli Couscous, Maftoul, Ptitim or Maftoul. If you like pearl couscous you should check out this israeli couscous recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
- Couscous: This salad uses pearled couscous. I love the texture and how it holds the dressing.
- Vegetables: The vegetables that are in this salad are roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, arugula and green onions.
- Olives: I like kalamata olives in this salad. They add great flavor.
- Beans: The chickpeas add protein to the salad. Make sure to drain and rinse the chickpeas.
- Cheese: Freshly crumbled feta cheese is a great addition to this salad.
- Dressing: The dressing mixes extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and sumac, za’atar or Italian seasoning.
Please see the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and instructions.
Recipe Modifications
- Beans: added chickpeas to this salad but any bean you want would work. I especially like white beans!
- Vegetables: You can add any colorful vegetables including sun-dried tomatoes, carrots, celery, bell peppers like red bell pepper, crunchy cucumbers, zucchini or mushrooms.
- Greens: I love adding arugula to my salads. It adds a nice peppery flavor. You can skip it all together or add spinach, kale or swiss chard.
- Cheese: Mediterranean salads in my house always have feta cheese in them. It is my go-to! This salad would also be great with goat cheese, mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.
- Dried Fruit: I love adding dried fruit to couscous. Dried cranberries, raisins, apricots or prunes are a great addition.
- Nuts: There are a lot of options for adding nuts and seeds. You could do pine nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pepitas, sliced almonds or walnuts.
- Protein: You can add grilled chicken, steak or seafood to this salad. I also think shrimp would be a nice addition!
Tips When Making This Couscous Salad
- Stock: To infuse move flavor you can boil your couscous in vegetable broth or chicken broth. You could try my Homemade Chicken Stock.
- Hot or Cold: One of my favorite things about pearl couscous is that it can be served hot or cold and is a great base for so many dishes. I add it to salads, soups and love pairing it with roasted vegetables, grilled meats and flavorful dressings.
- Gluten-free: People have asked me if pearl couscous is gluten-free. It is not gluten-free as it is made from semolina flour and wheat flour which both contain gluten.
Storage Tips
Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I like to stir more olive oil once it has been in the fridge for a few days along with more fresh herbs and lemon juice.
What to Serve With This Couscous Salad
- This is a nice side to pair with so many dishes. I love adding it alongside grilled meats like this Chicken Shawarma Recipe or these Grilled Kafta Kebabs.
- I also really enjoy this with seafood like this Mediterranean Salmon, Lemon Shrimp or this Air Fryer Cod.
- Another way to enjoy this couscous is to add in place of rice or quinoa in a bowl. Try adding it to these Mediterranean Buddha Bowls or with these Beef Kafta Meatballs.
More Salad Recipes
Salads
Summer Orzo Pasta Salad
Vegetarian
Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
Mediterranean
Easy Lebanese Salad
Vegetarian
Fattoush Salad
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Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup of pearl couscous or Israeli couscous {or sub regular couscous}
- 14 ounces of artichoke hearts, chopped
- 12 ounces of roasted red peppers, chopped
- 1 cups of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/4 cup of red onion, diced
- 1 medium english cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cup of pitted kalamata olives, sliced
- 4 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 -15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups of arugula {or green of your choice}
- 4-5 green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
For the dressing
- 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon juiced {about 1/4 cup of lemon juice}
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 to 2 teaspoons spice of your choice {I like sumac, za’atar or Italian seasoning}
Instructions
- Cook the couscous according to the package.
- While it cooks place the artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, red onion, english cucumber, olives, feta cheese, chickpeas, arugula, green onions, parsley and mint in a large mixing bowl. Set aside
- In a mason jar or salad dressing container combine the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and spice of your choice and stir or whisk together.
- Add the couscous to the salad once it has cooled. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss lightly to combine.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container.
Notes
- If you cannot find Israeli Couscous, you may substitute with a small pasta shape such as orzo or use regular couscous.
- I like to refrigerate for a few hours before serving so the flavors mix well. You can also refresh the salad with more dressing. This salad will keep up to 4 days but the tomatoes may start to get mushy. If you know you are eating this salad over the course of the week I would suggest waiting to add tomatoes until you are ready to eat.
