Mediterranean 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.

Course side salad

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword cold couscous salad recipe, couscous salad recipe, how to make couscous salad, salad with couscous

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Servings servings

Calories 354kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

10 ounces uncooked instant or pearl couscous
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 lemon juiced
1-2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
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

Cook the couscous according to package instructions. Fluff with a fork and let it cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and pepper.
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

English cucumbers work best for this recipe because they have thinner skins and fewer seeds, holding less water. However, you could most certainly use standard Persian cucumbers in a pinch.
I used grape tomatoes just because the flavor is particularly sweet and tasty. However, you can use any kind of fresh ripe tomatoes.
Chop the vegetables and olives into bite-size pieces to get a little bit of everything in each bite and a uniform texture.
Other fresh veggies to consider adding or substituting are red bell peppers, corn, carrots, shallots, or zucchini.
Try other fresh herbs like mint, basil, dill, or lemon zest.
Add pine nuts, slivered almonds, or chopped walnuts.
No added salt is needed in this recipe. The Kalamata Olives and Feta are naturally salty, so hold back on added salt.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
I do not recommend freezing this recipe.

Nutrition