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.  My husband and I enjoy taking this salad to picnics and potlucks. This tasty dish is even more flavorful the next day.

How to make Couscous salad

Start by cooking the couscous in a saucepan according to package instructions, and let it cool a bit while you cut the vegetables.  Then in a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and pepper.  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.

Recipe notes and helpful tips

• English cucumbers work best for this recipe because they have thinner skins and fewer seeds; therefore, they hold less water.  However, in a pinch, you most certainly could use standard Persian cucumbers.
• 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.

What can you substitute for Feta Cheese?

Feta cheese really goes well with this salad because of its salty, tangy, and rich flavor. However, I always get a few readers that do not like Feta Cheese.  There are other alternatives like queso fresco and Cotija. Both of these cheeses 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.

Other Mediterranean dishes you will love!

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.

5 from 24 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

• 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

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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