This Vegan Couscous Salad is a fresh and tasty salad that's packed with nutrients and flavor. Made with wholesome ingredients like couscous, colorful veggies, and a tangy Mediterranean dressing, this salad is the perfect way to fuel your body and satisfy your taste buds.
Big PLUS: It only takes only 10 minutes to whip it up.
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This Mediterranean couscous salad is packed with plant-based protein, fiber, and essential nutrients, making it the perfect meal for any time of day. The lemon vinaigrette dressing adds a tangy and refreshing flavor, while the couscous provides a satisfying and filling base.
It can also easily be customized to your liking, with endless possibilities for ingredients. Whether you prefer a classic Mediterranean-style salad with cucumbers, olives and herbs, or a more unique combination of fruits and veggies, there's a recipe out there for everyone.
This easy-to-prepare salad is versatile enough to be enjoyed as a light lunch, an easy side dish, or even a main course.
For more salad recipes see Pasta Salad, Watermelon Feta Salad or Corn Cucumber Tomato Salad.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's a super simple dish that comes together in couple of minutes.
- It includes a big variety of fresh vegetables and healthy fats.
- It's great for meal prep- because couscous doesn't soak up all the dressing as heavily as quinoa.
What is couscous?
Couscous is a popular side dish in Northern African and Middle Eastern Cuisine. It's a small pasta usually made of semolina and durum wheat flour. When it's cooked, it forms little, fluffy balls and can be enjoyed in a great variety of recipes.
What's great about couscous is that it's budget-friendly and readily available in most grocery stores.
There are different types of couscous out there. They mainly vary in size and cooking time:
- Moroccan Couscous: The smallest one. Cooks in minutes and is the one used in this recipe.
- Pearl Couscous (also called Israeli couscous): Is bigger in size and takes longer to cook.
- Lebanese Couscous: Even a little bit bigger in size than peal couscous.
- Instant Couscous: is a type of couscous that has been pre-cooked and dehydrated, making it a quick and convenient option.
How to cook couscous?
The perfect couscous-water ratio is essential for achieving the perfect texture.
- Couscous to water ratio: For regular couscous the water to couscous ratio is 1:1. So for 1 cup of boiling liquid (usually water or veggie stock), you'll need 1 cup of couscous.
Is couscous vegan?
Yes, couscous is vegan and therefore suited for anyone on a vegan diet.
Ingredients & Substitution Notes
- Couscous: This recipe uses Moroccan couscous (the smallest one) but you can also use pearl couscous. Couscous should be available in most grocery stores. In order to make this recipe gluten-free, sub quinoa or any other gluten-free grain.
- Onion: I prefer red onion in this salad but feel free to use white onion or leave it out completely for an onion-free salad.
- Red Bell Pepper: Adds some nice sweetness and crunchy texture, could be replaced with yellow bell pepper.
- Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans): They are a good source of protein and make this couscous salad more filling. Could be replaced with other legumes such as white beans.
- Green Onion: Could be replaced by scallion.
- Black Olives: We prefer using kalamata olives but feel free to use green olives instead.
- Vegetable Broth: Store-bought or homemade both work fine.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Can be replaced with fresh lime juice.
- Maple Syrup: To balance out the tangy lemon flavors
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make vegan couscous salad
STEP 1: Cook couscous. Bring vegetable stock to a simmer. Add dried couscous, stir well and set aside.
Once the couscous is cooked, fluff it with a fork or whisk.
Step 2: Make the salad dressing. Add all of the vinaigrette ingredients to a small bowl or jar with a lid.
Give the dressing a good shake or whisk until well combined.
Step 3: Toss together. Chop all of the veggies into bite-sized pieces. Add cooked couscous and all the veggies to a large bowl.
Add the vinaigrette and give it a good stir. Serve with fresh herbs on top (optional).
Katie's tips
- Use the right amount of liquid: The ratio of liquid to couscous is important for achieving fluffly couscous. For regular couscous the liquid to couscous ratio is 1:1 (in our case ⅓ cup couscous and ⅓ cup broth).
- Broth: To add more flavor to your couscous, use veggie broth instead of plain water. This will infuse the couscous with extra flavor as it absorbs the liquid.
- Let it sit: Once you've added the liquid to the couscous, it's important to let it sit for a few minutes to allow the couscous to absorb the liquid and become tender. Don't rush this step, or your couscous may be undercooked and grainy.
- Fluff with a fork: After the couscous has rested, use a fork to fluff it up and separate any clumps.
- Cucumber: Remove the cucumber seeds. That way the salad will have a crunchier and less watery texture.
Variations
- Gluten-Free: There are gluten-free couscous options out there but I would recommend using any gluten-free alternative instead such as quinoa.
- Customize with ingredients: Couscous is a versatile dish that can be customized with a variety of ingredients, from vegetables and herbs to nuts and dried fruit. Consider adding your favorite ingredients to the couscous for extra flavor and nutrition.
Add-in ideas
- Other Veggies: this salad is super customizable. Feel free to add more veggies of choice such as cherry tomatoes, sweet corn or other.
- Leafy Greens: Add a handful of baby spinach for some more nutrients.
- Feta: Add some vegan feta cheese for some extra flavours.
- Nuts: We like adding a handful of nuts such as walnuts or pine nuts.
- Festive Flavors: We've also served this as a Thanksgiving appetizer by adding a handful of pomegranates and sliced apples.
Pairings
Below you'll find some ideas on what to serve with this vegan couscous salad:
- Main Dish: This Mediterranian couscous salad makes a scrumptious light dish, especially during the hot summer months.
- Side Dish: It also makes a great side dish alongside some lighter main dishes such as
Storage
Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Meal prep options
This couscous salad is meal prep friendly. Make a big batch the evening before and take it with you as a healthy lunch option. Store the dressing in a separate container and add just before serving.
FAQs
This recipe uses Moroccan couscous (the smallest one) but feel free to use pearl couscous. You can read more about the different types of couscous here.
No, couscous is made from semolina and wheat flour and therefore not gluten-free.
Other types of grains that taste great in salad recipes are quinoa, bulgur, millet or short grain rice.
When using traditional Moroccan couscous (the small type) then it's usually cooked simply by adding boiling water. The couscous will absorb that water and you'll end up with a cooked, fluffy couscous. To add more flavor, the recipe below calls for vegetable broth instead of only hot water.
More side dishes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Couscous Salad (10 Minutes)
Ingredients
Salad
- ⅓ cup (65 g) couscous
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) vegetable broth
- 1 red bell pepper
- ½ cucumber
- 1 green onion
- ⅓ red onion
- 1 can (14oz/ 400g) chickpeas
- handful of black olives
Lemon Vinaigrette
- juice of 1 fresh lemon
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Italian mixed herbs
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Add veggie broth to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add dried couscous, give it a good stir and set aside.⅓ cup vegetable broth, ⅓ cup couscous
- Put all of the dressing ingredients into a jar with a lid. Firmly close the lid and give it a good shake or stir with a whisk.juice of 1 fresh lemon, 4 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon Italian mixed herbs, salt to taste
- Give veggies a good wash. Then chop bell pepper and cucumber (seeds removed) into bite-sized pieces.1 red bell pepper, ½ cucumber
- Finely chop green onion, red onion and black olives.1 green onion, ⅓ red onion, handful of black olives
- Add all of the ingredients to a big salad bowl. Add the dressing and serve right away.1 can (14oz/ 400g) chickpeas
Video
Notes
- Use the right amount of liquid: The ratio of liquid to couscous is important for achieving fluffly couscous. For regular couscous the liquid to couscous ratio is 1:1 (in our case ⅓ cup couscous and ⅓ cup broth).
- Broth: To add more flavor to your couscous, use veggie broth instead of plain water. This will infuse the couscous with extra flavor as it absorbs the liquid.
- Let it sit: Once you've added the liquid to the couscous, it's important to let it sit for a few minutes to allow the couscous to absorb the liquid and become tender. Don't rush this step, or your couscous may be undercooked and grainy.
- Fluff with a fork: After the couscous has rested, use a fork to fluff it up and separate any clumps.
- Cucumber: Remove the cucumber seeds. That way the salad will have a crunchier and less watery texture.
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