Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Last updated on June 30th, 2018 at 10:22 am

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!

Did you know that couscous is just small beads of pasta made from semolina. It’s very popular in countries 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.

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.

This salad is really simple to make, loaded with fresh veggies, such as cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, onions and Kalamata olives with a simple dressing made from lots of lemon juice, olive oil and a bit of white wine vinegar.

IF YOU LIKE THIS MEDITERRANEAN COUSCOUS SALAD, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

• Mediterranean Orzo Salad
• Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad
• Couscous Pilaf with Sauteed Mushrooms
• Best Ever Hummus
• Israeli Salad with Goat Cheese

If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!

5 from 5 votes

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Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

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! 

Course: Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings: 6

Calories: 231 kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

Dressing

• 4 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tsp pepper or to taste

Salad

• 3/4 cup couscous uncooked
• 1 tbsp 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 tbsp mint fresh, chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Follow the packaged instructions to prepare the couscous. Add the butter to the couscous when you're preparing it. Let it cool.

2. 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.

3. To a large bowl add the prepared couscous and fluff it up with a fork. 

4. Add the rest of the salad ingredients. Pour the prepared dressing over and toss everything well together.

Recipe Video

Recipe 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.

 

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Originally published August 2011.