Vegetable Couscous – The Almond Eater

July 20, 2023

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This quick and flavorful Vegetable Couscous is the proper gentle and refreshing aspect dish in your picnic or potluck. Each chew options the very best of summer time produce, with fluffy couscous and recent greens tossed along with a zesty Mediterranean dressing.

vegetable couscous inside of a bowl with a spoon

If you need to have fun the very best of summer time produce, make this Vegetable Couscous recipe! Like my zesty quinoa salad, it incorporates a medley of vibrant Mediterranean-inspired flavors your visitors gained’t have the ability to get sufficient of at picnics, potlucks, and get-togethers.

This gentle and refreshing salad is straightforward to place along with fluffy couscous, recent greens, and a zesty Mediterranean French dressing. It’s versatile, too, so be at liberty to place your individual spin on it! Add your favourite protein to make it a meal, change up the veggies, or make it with roasted greens. The choices are limitless!

Recipe options

It’s a easy vegetarian aspect dish you may shortly put collectively for the summer time potluck or picnic. You may even add protein to make it a standalone meal!
From cooking the quinoa to chopping the veggies to creating the dressing, it’s a simple aspect dish that’s prepared in lower than 1 hour.
Simply combine and match the recent produce with what’s in season to take pleasure in variations of this Mediterranean salad with couscous all yr spherical!

Components

all of the vegetable couscous ingredients in bowls on a counter with labels showing what is in each bowl

Couscous – Couscous is a kind of small, spherical pasta comprised of durum wheat semolina. Sadly, this implies it’s not gluten free. When cooked, it has a lightweight and fluffy texture and a gentle, nutty taste. Each common and Israeli couscous will work on this salad however remember that common couscous has a smaller grain measurement, whereas Israeli couscous is bigger and is barely chewier.

Tomatoes – Grape or cherry tomatoes add a juicy burst of taste whereas giving the salad a lift of fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C.

Zucchini – Don’t overlook uncooked zucchini for salad! It tastes nice right here and provides a wide range of wholesome nutritional vitamins and minerals.

Feta cheese – A traditional Mediterranean cheese that’s salty, creamy, and crumbly. Should you want milder cheese, strive cotija, goat cheese, or freshly grated parmesan.

Basil – I used recent basil, however be at liberty to throw in some recent mint and parsley for a burst of vivid and refreshing flavors.

Dressing – This vegetable couscous salad is wearing a easy French dressing comprised of olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, and black pepper.

Step-by-step directions

Step 1: Cook dinner the couscous. Should you haven’t already, cook dinner the couscous based on the bundle directions.

Step 2: Chop the veggies. In the meantime, quarter the tomatoes, chop the zucchini, cube the bell pepper, and cube the crimson onion.

all ingredients for the vegetable couscous separated in a mixing bowl

Step 3: Make the dressing. Whisk the olive oil, salt, garlic, lemon juice, mustard, honey, and black pepper in a small bowl.

Step 4: Toss all the things collectively. As soon as the couscous is cooked, switch it to a big bowl together with the chopped veggies, feta cheese, and basil. Pour the dressing over prime and toss to mix. Take pleasure in!

vegetable couscous inside of a mixing bowl with a spoon

Ideas and FAQs

Take into account cooking the couscous in vegetable broth as a substitute of water to infuse it with further taste.
After cooking couscous, ALWAYS fluff it up with a fork to assist break up the clumps and provides it a lightweight and fluffy texture.

Tip

The couscous salad could be served proper after it’s assembled, however the flavors get so significantly better after letting it chill within the fridge for no less than 1 hour. This offers the components extra time to meld and mingle.

How do you cook dinner couscous?

At all times check with the bundle directions earlier than cooking the couscous. In any other case, it’s a reasonably easy course of: (1) Boil some water or broth in a pot, then (2) add the couscous and instantly take away the pot from the warmth. (3) Give it a fast stir, place a lid on the pot, and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

What else are you able to add to vegetable couscous salad?

Along with tomatoes, zucchini, bell pepper, and crimson onion, you may add diced cucumber, shredded carrots, chickpeas, sliced black olives, or avocado. Take into account sprinkling in some toasted almonds, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds for some crunch.

Can I make this with roasted greens as a substitute?

Completely! To make roasted vegetable couscous, merely substitute the uncooked chopped veggies with pre-roasted chopped greens, like tomatoes, carrots, beets, or broccoli.

What goes properly with couscous salad?

There are limitless foremost dishes that pair properly with this refreshing and filling couscous salad. For a Mediterranean feast, pair it with Greek hen meatballs, baked Mediterranean cod, or air fryer lamb chops!

Need to flip this recipe right into a meal? Give it a lift of protein by tossing the salad with shredded hen, cooked shrimp, steak bites, baked salmon, canned tuna, and so forth. For plant-based choices, use crispy tofu or any kind of beans, lentils, nuts, or seeds you like.

Storage

Make forward: You may cook dinner the couscous, chop the greens, and make the dressing 1 day upfront. Toss all the things collectively 30 to 60 minutes earlier than serving, then hold it within the fridge till it’s time to eat.

Fridge: Retailer the leftover vegetable couscous in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Extra picnic-ready aspect dishes

Should you made this recipe, you’ll want to depart a remark and star score beneath. Thanks!