Vegan Couscous Salad (10 Minutes)

vegan couscous salad in a large bowl, next to it some olive oil and black olives.

Author: Katie

This Mediterranian couscous salad includes lots of vegetables, healthy fats and plant-based protein. The best part is that it comes together in 10 minutes and is great for meal prep!

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5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time: 10

Total Time: 10

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle-Eastern Inspired

Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

Salad

⅓ cup couscous
⅓ cup 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

You can find detailed step-by step-photos above the recipe card.

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.

Nutrition

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates.

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