Couscous Salad

This delicious Mediterranean Couscous Salad combines couscous with cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, Kalamata Olives, and feta cheese, all drizzled with an easy three-ingredient lemon vinaigrette. I love to serve it for a light summer lunch or dinner.

This simple salad is the perfect side dish for grilled marinated chicken and lemon pepper baked cod. We enjoy taking this salad to picnics and potlucks. This tasty dish is even more flavorful the next day.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.

• Pearl couscous: I use a brand called Rice Select
• Vinegar: Red or white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or champagne vinegar.
• English cucumber: They work best for this recipe because they have thinner skins and fewer seeds; therefore, they hold less water.  However, in a pinch, you can use standard Persian cucumbers.
• Tomatoes: I use grape tomatoes because the flavor is particularly sweet and tasty. However, you can use any fresh sun-ripened tomatoes.
• Kalamata olives: These are jarred Greek olives. Make sure they are pitted.
• Feta cheese: If you do not like Feta, try queso fresco or Cotija. They are mild, crumbly Mexican cheeses that are widely available at most grocery stores.  It will no longer be an authentic Mediterranean dish, but it will still be delicious.
• Fresh herbs: such as basil, parsley, mint, dill, or lemon zest.

How to make Couscous salad

This is the summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.

Whisk the olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and pepper in a small bowl. Cook the couscous in a saucepan and let it cool a bit while you cut the vegetables.

Now, gently stir together the cooled couscous, cucumber, red onion, grape tomatoes, garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas), Kalamata Olives, Feta Cheese, and basil ribbons. Pour the lemon vinaigrette over the pasta salad and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preparation Tips and Storage

• Chop the vegetables and olives into bite-size pieces to get a little bit of everything in each bite and a uniform texture.
• Add pine nuts, slivered almonds, or chopped walnuts for more protein and texture.
• The Kalamata Olives and Feta are naturally salty, so hold back on the salt.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• I do not recommend freezing this recipe.

Serving Suggestions for Couscous Salad

• Chicken: roasted chicken, lemon pepper chicken, chicken caprese, and bruschetta chicken
• Shrimp: grilled shrimp, shrimp scampi, and coconut shrimp
• Soup: lemon chicken orzo soup, Tuscan white bean soup, and avgolemono soup

More Mediterranean Recipes

Chicken Shawarma

Garlic Hummus

Chickpea Salad

Greek Chicken

Greek Salad

Buddha Bowls

Couscous Salad Recipe

A quick and refreshing Mediterranean Couscous Salad made with instant couscous, English Cucumbers, Kalamata Olives, sun-ripened tomatoes, red onion, garbanzo beans, and fresh basil, all drizzled with a lemon vinaigrette.

5 from 36 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: side salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 354kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Lemon Vinaigrette

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 lemon juiced (about 2 tablesspoons)
• 1-2 tablespoons honey
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Couscous Salad

• 2¼ cups cool water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons olive oil
• 1½ cups uncooked pearl couscous
• ⅔ cup chopped English cucumber
• ⅓ cup chopped red onion
• ⅔ cup quartered grape or cherry tomatoes
• ⅔ cup garbanzo beans
• ½ cup sliced Kalamata Olives
• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ¼ cup loosely packed basil ribbons or chopped parsley

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and pepper.
• Bring water to a boil, add the salt and olive oil. Stir in the pearl couscous. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the water is absorbed, stirring once or twice. Remove the lid and let it cool, stirring several times.
• In a large bowl, combine the cooled couscous, cucumber, red onion, grape tomatoes, garbanzo beans, Kalamata Olives, Feta Cheese, and basil ribbons.  Drizzle with the lemon vinaigrette and toss to coat.

Notes

• Chop the vegetables and olives into bite-size pieces to get a little bit of everything in each bite and a uniform texture.
• Add pine nuts, slivered almonds, or chopped walnuts for more protein and texture.
• The Kalamata Olives and Feta are naturally salty, so hold back on the salt.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• I do not recommend freezing this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 256mg | Potassium: 247mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 2mg

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