This colorful couscous salad recipe tastes irresistibly fresh with herbs, garlic and lemon! It is ideal as a side dish, lunch, picnic or potluck.
Here’s a salad that’s as delicious as it comes: this Fresh Herb Salad. Couscous Salad! It’s a perfect way to consume Israeli couscous, those deliciously chewy balls of pasta. Mix it with fresh dill and mint, garlic, lemon and a bunch of greens, then sprinkle with salty feta cheese. Bite into it and it’s irresistibly fresh and delicious: we couldn’t stop eating it! This Israeli deli-style couscous salad is great for lunch or a picnic, or as a colorful accompaniment to fish, chicken or the BBQ. Really, what can’t this salad do? In one bite you will be met.
Ingredients for this couscous salad recipe
A couscous salad might work with Moroccan couscous, which has very small, jagged pieces. But this one uses the largest perfectly round Israeli couscous, which is technically not couscous at all! We love an Israeli couscous salad because the larger size has a more pronounced texture when tossed with the veggies. What you need for this salad:
- Israeli couscous (aka pearl couscous)
- garlic powder
- clove of garlic
- shallot
- cherry tomatoes
- Fresh dill and fresh mint
- rocket
- Crumbled feta cheese
- lemon juice and zest
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Just cook the Israeli couscous, chop the veggies and mix it all up! It’s quick and easy and the taste is incredibly refreshing with a hint of acidity.
Couscous vs Israeli Couscous
A little throwback to couscous! What is the difference between standard couscous and Israeli couscous? Be sure to grab Israeli couscous when you buy this recipe. Here’s what you need to know:
- couscous is a North African dough with tiny grains of semolina flour. Its texture is similar to rice grains or quinoa, but it’s actually a paste! It finds its origins between the 11th and 13th centuries among the Berbers of Algeria and Morocco. It is a cultural dish of the Maghreb cuisine of the countries of Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, Morocco and Libya. Couscous has very small and irregular grains. It’s the standard variety and is called “couscous” in the grocery store (it doesn’t usually include the word Moroccan).
- Israeli Couscous aka Pearl Couscous is larger and spherical. It’s technically considered pasta and not couscous because the grains are large and exactly the same shape. It has always been made by machine while couscous is made by hand. Food was invented in Israel in the 1950s when the government had to feed masses of immigrants.
Please note: Couscous is not gluten-free and is not suitable for a gluten-free diet. You can find gluten-free couscous online.
Look for baby arugula
One important note about this couscous salad: make sure to look out for the baby arugula! If you can’t find it, don’t substitute standard arugula for it. Here’s why:
- rocket has a feather-light texture and is sold in bags or boxes. It has a subtle peppery taste.
- standard rocket, sold in bundles, has a very tangy flavor that would overwhelm this salad!
- Can’t find baby arugula? Replace with another baby green like baby spinach or baby kale.
Use fresh herbs for this couscous salad
This Israeli couscous salad is rich in herbal flavors with fresh dill and fresh mint: they are an integral part of the light herbal flavor. But they can get expensive in the winter months! Here are some tips for working with fresh herbs:
- If possible, use both fresh dill and mint. Growing your own herbs in the summer is the best way to stay economical.
- Do you just want to use a fresh herb? Opt for fresh dill and leave out the mint.
- Avoid substituting dried herbs: they have a completely different taste. If you want, you can just omit the herbs altogether: it’s still good! (Just not quite as Good.)
Ways to serve this couscous salad
This couscous salad is one of those ultra-versatile recipes that you can use for many occasions and seasons. Here are some of our favorite ways to serve it:
Let us know how you would like to serve it in the comments below!
More salad recipes
Do you like a good muesli or bean salad? They make a nice simple side dish idea. Here are some fun recipes you’ll love:
This couscous salad recipe is…
Vegetarian. For gluten free, search online for gluten free couscous. For vegan and non-dairy dishes, omit the feta and add a few extra pinches of salt.
The description
This colorful couscous salad recipe tastes irresistibly fresh with herbs, garlic and lemon! It is ideal as a side dish, lunch, picnic or potluck.
- 1 cup Israeli Couscous (aka Pearl Couscous; look for gluten-free if desired)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, shared
- 1 large clove of garlic, chopped
- 1 chopped shallots
- 1 pint Cherry tomatoes, sliced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint**
- 2 cups Baby rocket (or other baby salad)*
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (omit for vegans and add more salt to taste)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus the zest of half a lemon
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the Israeli couscous, garlic powder and ½ teaspoon kosher salt and reduce to low heat. Cover with a lid and cook until the couscous is tender and the water is absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes. Place couscous in a bowl, mix with 1 teaspoon olive oil and let sit for 2-3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, finely chop the garlic and shallot. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Chop dill and mint.
- When the couscous has finished rising, place it in a large bowl with the chopped vegetables and herbs. Add the baby arugula, crumbled feta cheese, lemon juice and zest, remaining Tbsp olive oil, ¼ tsp kosher salt, and a few black peppercorns. Mix gently to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 5 days (flavor is best immediately but tastes great once chilled; you may need to liven up the flavor with a pinch or two of salt).
Remarks
*Look out for baby arugula, which has a feathery texture and is sold in bags or boxes. The standard arugula sold in bundles has a flavor that is way too pungent. If you can’t find it, substitute other baby greens like baby spinach or baby kale.
**If it’s winter and you want to prune and only use one herb, use fresh dill. We recommend this fresh herb salad (and try growing your own herbs in the summer). Avoid substituting dried herbs: you can just omit the herbs altogether and it’ll still taste great.
- Category: salad
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: salad
- Diet: vegetarian
