Couscous salad is hearty, fresh, and easy to make. This gorgeous dish features fresh, seasonal ingredients like cucumber, red onion, herbs, and cherry tomatoes. Drizzle everything in a simple and bright lemon juice dressing!
I love making this couscous for a summer cookout because it’s the perfect, simple side dish and pairs easily with any grilled protein (chicken, shrimp, burgers, steak, salmon, etc.)! This couscous salad can also be enjoyed solo as a light dinner or tasty little lunch.
Couscous is the best because it cooks SUPER fast, making it a very convenient ingredient to utilize in the kitchen.
If you’re a fan of this couscous salad recipe and fresh veggies, check out my delicious Asparagus Couscous Salad or this incredible Chicken And Mango Couscous Salad. You can’t go wrong with either of these variations.
For the couscous:
- Couscous — I like using whole wheat couscous to make my salad heartier, but any will do.
- Water — For cooking couscous.
- Salt and pepper — Simple seasonings for big flavor. Add them to taste!
Salad Ingredients:
- Red onion — Delicious and spicy! If the flavor of your onion is too strong, you can soak it in cool water for a few minutes before adding it to the salad.
- Tomatoes — I like using cherry tomatoes because they’re extra sweet. Grape tomatoes will also work.
- Cucumber — For a bit of crunch.
- Fresh herbs — I generally use parsley and mint for this recipe.
- Feta crumbles — Salty cheese pairs nicely with bright, lemony dressing.
For The Salad dressing (lemon vinaigrette):
- Fresh lemon juice — Freshly squeezed is always best, though bottled can work in a pinch! If you prefer, you can replace lemon juice with white wine vinegar.
- Extra virgin olive oil — You can also substitute avocado oil.
- Garlic — One to two whole cloves, finely minced.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper — To taste.
- Optional: lemon zest
Cooking the couscous:
- Measure water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat and add your couscous!
- Place a lid on the saucepan and allow the couscous to soak in hot water or chicken broth for about 5 minutes, until soft.
- Remove the lid and use a fork to fluff to separate the fine grains, then set the couscous to the side or in the fridge and allow it to cool while you work on everything else!
Make dressing:
- In a small bowl or glass mason jar, combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Whisk until ingredients are well combined, then do a taste test and add more salt or pepper if desired.
Assemble and serve:
- Transfer couscous to a large bowl, then add halved cherry tomatoes, veggies, herbs, and salty feta crumbles.
- Mix well, drizzle homemade lemon dressing over ingredients, and then toss again so everything gets a nice coating.
- Do a taste test and add a bit more salt/pepper if necessary, then serve and enjoy!
Grilled Chicken: Serve your couscous salad with grilled chicken thighs, grilled chicken wings or grilled chicken breast for a hearty and protein-packed meal.
Kebabs: Skewer shrimp or grilled chicken kebabs and serve them alongside your couscous salad.
Couscous and Veggie Salad with Feta
Ingredients
For the Couscous
- 1 cup dry Moroccan couscous
- 1 cup water
- salt and black pepper to taste
For the Salad
- 1/4 cup red onions
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 1/2 cup cucumber chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh mint chopped
- 3 tbsp feta cheese
For the Dressing
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn off the stove and add couscous. Clover the saucepan with a lid and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Uncover, fluff with a fork, and set aside to let cool for 5 minutes more.
- In a mason jar or small bowl, pour the freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil. Add garlic, salt and pepper and whisk everything.
- In large bowl, add couscous, red onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, fresh parsley, mint and feta cheese. Stir really well. Pour the dressing on top and mix everything again.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if you think it is necessary. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I like using whole wheat couscous to make the salad lighter, but you can use regular couscous if you prefer.
- You can also use pearl couscous if desired, but check the packaging and adjust cook time as necessary.
- I also prefer to use fresh herbs, but you can swap them for dried herbs too.
- If you do not have feta cheese, you can use cotija cheese, goat cheese, or any other crumbly cheese.
- To store: Place leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days. Salad will last longer (3-4 days) if you store dressing separately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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So fresh, so healthy and so beautiful! You killed it with this salad!
Thanks, Pamela ๐
What a wonderful combination of seasonal ingredients, flavors and textures! Beautiful photos and recipe, Olivia! I like simple too! Thank you!
Thanks for your sweet compliment, Traci ๐
What a gorgeous salad, Olivia! I’ve never cooked with couscous before, although I love it! The corn and zucchini in here looks delicious!
So, try it. You are going to love this recipe!
This salad looks delicious! I totally agree… when you use seasonal fruits and vegetable your dish will always be amazing!
Glad you stopped by, Cindy ๐
On the list for today! Thanks for the great idea, Olivia ๐
You’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by.
Olivia, I am new to your site and I am already loving it! I canโt wait to look at all your great recipes! What a gorgeous salad. And healthy tooโฆjust perfect!
So glad you love my blog! Thanks for stopping by ๐
This is such a fresh and tasty-looking salad, Olivia! Couscous is such a fun salad twist and I love the addition of zuccini! As always your photos are gorgeous, girl!
Happy Weekend!
Thanks a lot, my dear Sarah!
I completely agree! Sometimes the easier the dish is the better it is! I’ve slaved over a few dish for hours that turned out horrible, so I’m always happy to see quick, easy, and delicious recipes, especially when they are in salad form ๐ This looks great, Olivia!
I am with you, Isa ๐
How delicious does this salad look! Totally loving the idea of adding cous cous, I never usually cook with enough of the stuff so this recipe is one that I will be trying!
Try it and let me know. I am sure you are going to love it!
What a beautiful salad!
Thanks!
Gorgeous salad! Love all the seasonal and fresh ingredients in here! Simple and seasonal salads like this are my favorite ๐
Glad you stopped by my dear Kelly!
Lovely salad Olivia. I’m always looking for a new way to cook with couscous and this is an absolutely must try.
Thanks, Kathy!
How lovely.. We love couscous in our home we eat it sweet or savory. It is easy to prepare and so handy. Your salad is an addition to my couscous recipes for sure. Pinned.
I bet your couscous recipes are awesome, Amira ๐
I LOVE making salads with couscous! This salad looks amazing friend! So colorful! And a great lunch or quick dinner!
Thanks a lot, my friend ๐
Totally agree with you about keeping things simple! I just wrote about this for an upcoming blog post. Love the bright colours in this salad, I think I’m going to have to pickup some zucchini next time I’m at the store.
You are going to love this recipe. Couscous and zucchini are a great combo!
This is fresh, healthy, and everything a meal should be! Lunch please.
Thanks, Erin!
I totally agree! The more colorful a meal is, the more delicious it always seems to be! And this is just gorgeous.
Thanks, Joanne!
The perfect summer salad. Even better that is has feta on it!
I love feta in my salad ๐
Yum! I love how you can pair couscous with just about anything and it tastes so good. This salad looks killer!
Totally agree with you, Leah! Thanks for stoping by ๐
Your photos are totally stunning!! I love everything about this salad! I bet it was fantastic!
Thanks you so much for your compliment, Annie! So sweet!