Description
This vibrant and flavorful Greek Couscous Salad is a delicious and healthy meal or side dish. It combines pearled couscous, fresh vegetables, chickpeas, feta cheese, and a zesty lemon-herb dressing. It’s perfect for meal prep, potlucks, or a light and refreshing lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 2 (4.7-ounce) packages roasted garlic & olive oil pearled couscous (Israeli couscous), cooked according to package directions (such as Near East brand)
- 1 English cucumber (or hothouse cucumber), coarsely chopped
- 3 bell peppers (1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow), coarsely chopped
- 1/2 large red onion, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- Feta cheese, crumbled, to taste
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges (for serving)
For the Salad Dressing:
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon (about 2–3 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
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Cook Couscous: Prepare the pearled couscous according to the package directions, making sure to include the seasoning packet that comes with the couscous. This provides a significant amount of flavor to the salad. Let the couscous cool completely.
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Prepare Vegetables: While the couscous is cooking (or cooling), chop the cucumber, bell peppers, red onion, and halve the cherry tomatoes. Finely chop the parsley.
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Soak Red Onion (Optional): If you find the flavor of raw red onion too strong, you can soak the chopped red onion in cold water (or fresh lemon juice) for about 10 minutes to mellow the flavor. Drain well before adding to the salad.
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Roast Chickpeas (Optional): If desired, for extra texture and flavor, you can roast the chickpeas. Toss the drained and rinsed chickpeas with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 20-30 minutes, or air fry until crispy.
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Make Dressing: In a small mason jar with a tight-fitting lid (or a small bowl), combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Seal the jar and shake vigorously (or whisk in a bowl) until the dressing is well combined and emulsified.
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Assemble Salad (For Immediate Serving): In a large bowl, combine the cooled cooked couscous, chopped cucumber, chopped bell peppers, chopped red onion, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped parsley, and drained/rinsed (and optionally roasted) chickpeas. Add crumbled feta cheese to taste. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the salad.
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Dress Salad (For Immediate Serving): Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Only dress the portion of salad you plan to eat immediately, as dressed salad does not store well.
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Assemble for Meal Prep:
- Divide the dressing evenly among 6 small, airtight containers.
- Divide the cooled cooked couscous evenly among 6 meal prep containers.
- Divide the chopped vegetables and chickpeas evenly among the meal prep containers, on top of the couscous.
- Add a lemon wedge to each container.
- Sprinkle feta cheese over each container (or store feta separately to maintain its texture).
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Seal the containers tightly.
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Meal Prep Serving: To serve (from meal prep containers), pour the dressing from the small container over the salad, squeeze the lemon wedge over the top, stir to combine, and enjoy.
Notes
- Pearled Couscous: Pearled couscous (also called Israeli couscous) is larger and chewier than regular couscous. The recipe specifies a roasted garlic & olive oil flavor for added flavor. If using plain couscous, be sure to season it well.
- Vegetables: You can adjust the amounts of vegetables to your preference.
- Chickpeas: Roasting the chickpeas adds a nice crunchy texture, but it’s optional.
- Feta Cheese: Use crumbled feta cheese to taste.
- Dressing: The dressing can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.
- Serving Suggestions: Enjoy
- Storage (Undressed Salad): The undressed salad ingredients (couscous, vegetables, chickpeas, feta) can be stored separately in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The dressing can also be stored separately. Combine and dress just before serving.