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! 

MEDITERRANEAN COUSCOUS SALAD 

You guys know my love for salads by now, especially Mediterranean inspired salads like today’s Mediterranean Couscous Salad. I am excited to be partnering with Heinen’s, a local grocery store in Ohio and Illinois, to bring you this warm weather salad that is sure to be a hit with your family. 

When it comes to lunches during the week I have these type of salads on repeat. 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 makes such a great warm weather side dish! 

IS COUSCOUS GOOD FOR YOU?

Couscous is a carbohydrate made from semolina. It contains good levels of fibre and protein with very little fat. Couscous contains some iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin E and B. It is a great option if you are looking to incorporate 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COUSCOUS AND ISRAELI COUSCOUS?

Israeli couscous, also known as pearl couscous, is similar to regular couscous. Israeli couscous is a bit larger and creates a chewier texture than regular smaller couscous. I personally like pearl couscous in salads and the smaller couscous for side dishes with less vegetables mixed in.

HOW CAN I MODIFY THIS MEDITERRANEAN COUSCOUS SALAD RECIPE?

BEANS: I added chickpeas to this salad but any bean you want would work. I especially like white beans! 

VEGETABLES: You can add any vegetables you like including carrots, celery, 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. 

PROTEIN: You can add grilled chicken, steak or seafood to this salad. I also think shrimp would be a nice addition! 

WHAT SHOULD I PAIR THIS SALAD WITH?

I love this salad on its own but it also makes a great pairing with a variety of recipes. Here are some favorites:

I think this salad is the perfect match for seafood. A couple of my favorites are this Perfect 15 Minute Grilled Salmon recipe or this Baked Cod with Lemon. 

Chicken is always a very nice main meal for cousous salads. This Chicken Shawarma, Shish Tawook or this Grilled Greek Lemon Chicken.

Steak is something we grill out a lot! Our favorites to make with this side dish are this Easy Grilled Flank Steak and this Beef Shawarma. 

Yield: 6-8

Mediterranean Couscous Salad

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Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

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
• 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

1. Cook the couscous according to the package.
2. While it cooks place the artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, red onion, english cucumber, olives, feta cheese, arugula, green onions, parsley and mint in a large mixing bowl. Set aside
3. 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.
4. Add the couscous to the salad once it has cooled. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss lightly to combine.
5. 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.