Mediterranean Couscous Salad
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This Mediterranean Couscous Salad is easy and healthy and ready in under 30 minutes! A simple salad loaded with lots of fresh veggies and an easy dressing makes this great for a meal on its own or a delicious side dish!
Mediterranean Couscous Salad
I love to add some kind of complex carby starch to my salads. Not only does it add some great flavor and chew, but it also bulks up any salad and makes them feel like a real hearty meal rather than just a side. I love this salad because the couscous really soaks up the flavor of the dressing, meaning it’s delicious to pack up for lunch the next day!
Loaded with fresh tomato, cucumber, red onion, and Kalamata olives, this salad will have you coming back for more time and time again. So let’s get into this easy, fresh salad that will be on your table in under 30 minutes!
What Is Couscous?
Did you know that couscous is just small beads of pasta made from semolina? It’s very popular in places like Turkey, Greece, Spain, France, and lots of Arabic countries. Traditionally, it is served with meat and vegetable stew. It cooks very quickly, so it’s perfect for a hectic night when you want a quick and healthy dinner
If you cook couscous properly it’s very light and fluffy. Luckily, in most western supermarkets, couscous is instant, which means it’s been pre-steamed and dried. Otherwise there’s no science to cooking couscous, usually you just follow the package instructions, one cup of boiling water to 3/4 cup of couscous. You can also add some butter or olive oil to it and some salt. And really, that’s all there is to it.
Ingredients In Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Dressing
- Lemon juice – This is the flavor base of our dressing. Freshly squeezed please!
- White wine vinegar – We need a bigger acidity kick and white wine vinegar adds some nice complexity.
- Olive oil – Feel free to use a nice olive oil as we won’t be cooking this dish.
- Garlic – Use as much or little as you like.
- Sugar – We need a little sweetness to cut through the acidity.
- Italian seasoning – For that Mediterranean flavor.
- Salt & pepper – To taste.
Salad
- Couscous – I used uncooked for this salad as I wanted to add some flavor to the pasta.
- Butter – Unsalted, remember we want to control our sodium content!
- Veggies – English cucumber, tomato, red onion, and green pepper diced up.
- Olives – I love olives, no Mediterranean dish is complete without them. Kalamata was my olive of choice for this recipe.
- Cheese – A nice crumbly, salty feta is ideal.
- Mint – Fresh, chopped up and sprinkled on the salad.
How To Make Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Detailed instructions and measurements can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Prepare the couscous: Follow the packaged instructions to prepare the couscous. Add the butter to the couscous when you’re preparing it. Let it cool.
- Combine the dressing: In a small bowl or jar add all the dressing ingredients together and whisk well or if using a jar, close the lid and shake well, until thoroughly combined.
- Assemble the salad: To a large bowl add the prepared couscous and fluff it up with a fork. Add the rest of the salad ingredients. Pour the prepared dressing over and toss everything well together. Garnish with extra mint and feta and serve!
Leftovers
This salad will store well in the fridge for up to a week. The dressing can be used for up to 2 weeks if refrigerated in an airtight container. Just be sure to mix well before using again.
Craving More Mediterranean Dishes? Try These Recipes:
- Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad
- Couscous Pilaf with Sauteed Mushrooms
- Best Ever Hummus
- Israeli Salad with Goat Cheese
- Moussaka
- Shakshuka
- Bruschetta Salmon
- Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Video
Ingredients
Dressing
- 4 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
Salad
- 3/4 cup couscous (uncooked)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 English cucumber (chopped)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1/2 cup olives (sliced, I recommend Kalamata olives)
- 1 green pepper (chopped)
- 1/2 medium red onion (chopped)
- 3/4 cup feta cheese (crumbled)
- 3 tablespoon mint (fresh, chopped)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Follow the packaged instructions to prepare the couscous. Add the butter to the couscous when you’re preparing it. Let it cool.
- In a small bowl or jar add all the dressing ingredients together and whisk well or if using a jar, close the lid and shake well, until thoroughly combined.
- To a large bowl add the prepared couscous and fluff it up with a fork.
- Add the rest of the salad ingredients. Pour the prepared dressing over and toss everything well together.
Notes
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Lovely recipe.
Delicious recipe on it’s own. I may top salad greens with this and add some chick peas with the leftovers. Love the dressing.
Yuuuum! I make this recipe all the time. Adding Vegeta or chicken stock to the couscous makes it extra delicious. So perfect for lunch and keeps so well in the fridge. 15 mins and lunch for the week is done!
Even my husband liked this recipe. The dressing complements the salad without being too bitter or tangy.
Yummy Jo! Had this with bbq chicken breasts for dinner. Everyone loved it! ANOTHER delicious dish from my fav cooking expert!
Hugs – 🙂 <3
Yay! So happy to hear that!
I made this tonight and it was so fluffy and delicious!! The veggies were on point and that dressing was amazing. I let it sit in the fridge so the flavors could marry, and wow! My girls loved it, and I’m quite certain the spousal unit will love it too when he gets home! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Jessica
My pleasure, Jessica! So glad you enjoyed it!
Easiest recipe for the tastiest salad. It is great along side grilled meats but also makes a perfect vegetarian meal when I want to go lighter.
Yes! The next time I make this will be a vegetarian meal with grilled portobellos.
I L O V E T H I S S T U F F!!! Make it. You’ll love it too! So much so that you may turn into a “Med” salad addict like me. Could be worse!!
I loved it so much
Made this for dinner last night and everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing!
Great recipe. I’ve not only made this once but twice within the day I’ve read this post. Thanks to http://www.gourmandia.com who have accidentally redirected me to this site.
That looks delish. I want it for a dinner treat with my hubby.
What a pretty salad! Couscous is an awesome ingredient. Thank you for sharing. Can’t wait to try this out!
Haven’t tried couscous salad before, I’ll try it out. Looks delicious. Love your blog.
Thank you. 🙂