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Couscous salad with fresh vegetables and herbs in a bowl on a gray concrete background.
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4.75 from 8 votes

Healthy Couscous Salad

Satisfy your hunger with this healthy pearl couscous salad! It’s tossed with juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, delicious kalamata olives, and aromatic basil. The tangy dressing brings it all together to create a flavorful and healthy Mediterranean dish!
Prep Time7 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time17 minutes
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: couscous salad, healthy couscous salad
Servings: 2
Calories: 750kcal

Ingredients

For the Salad

  • 1 cup couscous dry pearl variety
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
  • 1/2 cup cucumber chopped
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 10-15 fresh basil leaves
  • 2/3 cup chickpeas
  • 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbled
  • 4-6 Kalamata olives

For the Dressing

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 lemon juiced (should yield about 1-1.5 tbsp)
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • sea salt
  • black pepper

Instructions

  • Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl. Whisk well and set aside.
  • Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the couscous. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
  • Add water to the couscous and bring it to a boil. Cover and cook for 7-10 minutes until soft.
  • Remove from heat, transfer to a fine-mesh strainer, and rinse. Shake off any excess water and set aside.
  • Add the grape tomatoes, cucumber, olives, onion, chickpeas, basil leaves, and feta cheese in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle on half the dressing and toss well. Add additional dressing to taste.
  • Add the couscous and mix gently.
  • Divide into two salad bowls and serve.

Notes

  • Toasting the pearl couscous in oil intensifies the flavor. But if you’re trying to reduce oil in your diet, you can skip this part and simply add water and boil according to package directions.
  • For added flavor, you can cook the couscous in vegetable/chicken broth instead of water.
  • To make it slightly spicy, you can coat the chickpeas with a dash of cayenne pepper before tossing it with the rest of the ingredients.

Nutrition

Calories: 750kcal | Carbohydrates: 96g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 453mg | Potassium: 686mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 919IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 223mg | Iron: 4mg