My Mediterranean Couscous Salad is made with a bevy of recent elements tossed in a tantalizing Mediterranean-style selfmade dressing. Good as a wholesome meal or facet dish!
Do that recipe with my Greek Dressing too in case you have some on-hand!
Recent Mediterranean Salad With Lemon Dressing
Say it with me: Life’s too brief for boring salads. Ever since summer time began, I’ve been on a kick with potato salad, quinoa salad, rooster salad. And now, I’m making an attempt this wonderful Mediterranean couscous salad on for measurement.
This salad is a fusion of recent elements impressed by Greek, Italian, and Moroccan delicacies. I imply, why choose only one, when you’ll be able to have all of the flavors of the Mediterranean in a single bowl? Tender cooked couscous makes this summer time salad simply the correct quantity of filling, and the flavors are prime notch.
Tossed in a flavor-packed selfmade salad dressing of olive oil whisked with zesty lemon and spices, this recipe is a keeper.
What’s Couscous?
So, you’ve had it in eating places. You’ve seemingly even cooked it at residence. However what precisely is couscous? The reply would possibly shock you! Whereas it might look a bit like rice or quinoa, couscous isn’t truly a grain or a seed in any respect. It’s truly a semolina pasta, produced from granules of rolled durum wheat.
Moroccan couscous is the type of manufactured couscous you’ll discover extensively out there within the States. Boxed couscous is pre-steamed after which dried earlier than it’s packaged. This pretreatment is what permits the granules to melt up once more in minutes when you add boiling water!
Recipe Components
Beneath I’ve included a fast take a look at the elements for this salad. You’ll discover full quantities and particulars within the recipe card additional down.
- Olive Oil: This dressing is greatest when it’s made with a very good high quality olive oil, or avocado oil.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed.
- Seasoning: I take advantage of a mix of cumin, floor ginger, floor cinnamon, floor coriander, cayenne, and salt and pepper in my dressing.
- Couscous: Your alternative of couscous, cooked based on the package deal instructions after which cooled.
- Apples: Chopped apples give the salad slightly sweetness. Virtually any sort of apple is okay right here, however the crunchier, the higher (assume varieties like Honeycrisp, Pink Woman, Empire, and Fuji). You possibly can peel them or depart them with the peel on, it’s as much as you!
- Raisins: For those who’re not a fan, sub in craisins or depart the ‘aisins out altogether!
- Pistachios: Chopped salted pistachios deliver a pleasant crunch to the occasion.
- Olives: Would it not be a Mediterranean salad with out olives? I believe not. I like to make use of Castelvetrano inexperienced olives for these genuine Sicilian vibes.
- Recent Herbs: Chopped parsley and minced mint leaves.
- Cucumber: Select a agency, darkish inexperienced cucumber that’s free from blemishes and smooth spots.
- Feta: Creamy crumbled feta is the cherry on prime of this couscous salad.
The right way to Make Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Making this salad is actually as straightforward as 1, 2, 3!
- Make the Dressing: First, whisk collectively the dressing elements to put aside for now.
- Prepare dinner the Couscous: Put together your couscous based on the instructions on the package deal. Switch the couscous to a big bowl whereas it finishes cooling.
- Assemble the Salad: Mix the remainder of the salad elements within the bowl with the couscous. Add the dressing over prime and provides every part a very good stir to evenly coat, then pop the salad into the fridge to sit back. After an hour, your couscous salad is able to serve!
Ideas for Success
I like this recipe as a result of it’s virtually fail-proof, although listed here are some further suggestions for making the right couscous salad:
- If You Want Extra Dressing: For those who like your salad further saucy, be at liberty to up the parts within the dressing by 50%.
- Fluff the Couscous: After your couscous has been left to chill, and earlier than including in the remainder of the elements, it’s a good suggestion to offer it a light-weight fluff with a fork to interrupt up any clumps. Give it one other fast toss proper earlier than you serve it, too.
Variation Concepts
Like all salad, this recipe leaves tons of room for personalization. Listed below are simply a number of the some ways to adapt the elements:
- Totally different Herbs: Rather than mint, attempt different recent herbs like basil, cilantro, or dill.
- Totally different Cheese: Use one other crumbly choice like goat cheese or Cotija cheese.
- Add Veggies: Toss in additional veggies like chopped cherry tomatoes or Roma tomatoes, chopped celery, grilled zucchini, inexperienced beans, or hearty greens like spinach and kale.
- Add Nuts: Rather than or along with the pistachios, attempt different chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts, almonds, or pine nuts. Use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds when you favor (or when you’re catering to a nut allergy).
- Strive Totally different Couscous: This salad may be made with different styles of couscous, similar to Israeli couscous (a.ok.a. Pearl couscous) or Lebanese (Moghrabieh) couscous. Simply observe the preparation directions on the package deal as traditional.
Serving Recommendations
This flavorful salad is as versatile as they arrive. It makes a terrific mild dinner, wholesome lunch, or facet salad that’s prepared in minutes! Listed below are some concepts for serving this Mediterranean couscous salad:
The right way to Retailer Leftovers
Couscous salad is great to make forward to maintain within the fridge for as much as 5 days (hiya, straightforward lunches!). Retailer the salad hermetic in a lidded container for simple dishing.
Can I Freeze This?
Since couscous is pasta, freezing couscous salad isn’t beneficial as most frozen pastas are likely to thaw into mush. This salad additionally accommodates elements like apple and cucumber, and dairy like feta, which sadly received’t maintain up effectively within the freezer both. The excellent news is, this salad is really easy to make and hold within the fridge, a recent batch is at all times so as!
Extra Healthful Salads to Strive
Description
This Mediterranean couscous salad is made with a bevy of recent elements tossed in a tantalizing Mediterranean-style selfmade dressing. Good as a wholesome meal or facet dish!
For the Dressing:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup recent lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon floor ginger
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon recent floor black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon floor cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon floor coriander
- pinch of cayenne
For the Salad:
-
- 4 cups cooked couscous, cooled
- 1 1/2 cups chopped apples
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 3/4 cup chopped salted pistachios
- 1/2 cup chopped olives (I like to make use of Castelvetrano inexperienced olives)
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 3 tablespoons minced recent mint
- 1 cup chopped cucumber
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- Dressing: In a medium bowl whisk collectively all of the dressing elements. Put aside.
- Salad: Prepare dinner couscous based on package deal instructions. Switch to a big bowl and permit to chill to room temperature.
- Add all of the salad elements into the bowl with the couscous. Pour the dressing on prime and stir to mix.
- Refrigerate for no less than an hour earlier than serving.
Notes
- For those who favor loads of dressing, enhance parts by 50%.
- Retailer hermetic within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
Key phrases: straightforward salad recipes, mediterranean salad, couscous recipes
Need To Save This Recipe?
Discover extra recipes like this:
PIN for later:
>