This Mediterranean couscous salad is packed with grilled greens and tossed in a creamy basil lemon feta dressing. A healthy, veggie-forward aspect dish or gentle lunch.
Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad
Mostly grilled veggies, this Mediterranean couscous salad is tossed in a creamy basil lemon feta dressing. I like loading up my pasta salads with grilled greens like I did with right here on this grilled vegetable orzo salad. Here, pearl couscous supplies a chewy, nutty base to this salad that’s tossed with an array of grilled greens, like zucchini, squash, bell peppers, mushrooms, and purple onion. Like my orzo salad, it’s straightforward to prep forward, scrumptious heat or chilly, and works for lunch, dinner, or as a standout aspect at your subsequent cookout.
Why This Couscous Salad Works
If you could have my cookbooks you most likely understand how a lot I like pearl couscous! My Summer Pearl Couscous from my first cookbook is an all time favourite! This easy grilled vegetable couscous salad is all the things I need in a summer season dish—vivid, hearty, and bursting with taste.
- Nutritious: Packed with 6 colourful veggies–a tasty method to eat the rainbow!
- Versatile: It works superbly as a light-weight lunch, a satisfying vegetarian dinner, or a colourful aspect for something off the grill.
- Perfect for Meal Prep: The flavors proceed to deepen because the veggies and couscous absorb the dressing.
- Feeds a Crowd: The recipe makes quite a bit, so it’s nice for serving at a celebration.
- Dietary Restrictions: This veggie-forward aspect dish is Weight Watchers-friendly, vegetarian, Mediterranean diet-friendly, and anti inflammatory.
More recipes utilizing Pearl Couscous do that Mediterranean Meatball Bowl or this Lemon Asparagus Couscous Salad.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are the Mediterranean couscous salad components. See the recipe card under for the precise measurements.
- Pearl Couscous, also called Israeli couscous produced from wheat flour, is a small, spherical pasta with a chewy texture and nutty taste. Orzo pasta can be utilized as a substitute right here.
- Vegetables: I used zucchini, yellow squash, purple bell pepper, poblano pepper, purple onion, and mushrooms. Swap any greens in comparable to tomatoes, eggplant or asparagus.
- Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper: Toss with the veggies earlier than you grill them.
- Lemon Basil Feta Dressing: Olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, feta, basil, water, salt, and pepper. Buy a block of feta, not pre-crumbled–it has a creamier texture.
How to Make Pearl Couscous Salad
Here are the step-by-step directions for this straightforward couscous salad. See the recipe card on the backside for printable instructions.
- Season the sliced greens with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Grill the Vegetables: Grill the greens on oiled grates about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping a number of occasions. Remove them from the grill and allow them to cool.
- Cook the Pearl Couscous: Bring water and salt to a boil, then stir within the couscous. Reduce the warmth to low, cowl the pot, and prepare dinner for 12 minutes. Turn off the range and partially take away the lid to let the steam escape.
- Make the Dressing by including all of the dressing components to a mini food processor or blender. Blend till mixed.
- Finish the Salad: Cut the cooled greens into bite-size items and put them in a big bowl. Add the couscous and dressing and toss. Serve the dish heat or at room temperature.
Tips for Grilling Vegetables Perfectly
- Cut evenly. Slice the veggies into uniform sizes to make sure even cooking.
- Lightly oil the grill to forestall the greens from sticking to it. Once the grill is heated, pour avocado oil onto paper towels and rub them over the grates.
- Don’t let the veggies slip by the cracks. Lay the lengthy slices perpendicular to the grates. For the mushrooms and onions, use a grill pan or thread them onto skewers to make flipping simpler.
Variations and Substitutions
- Vegetables: If you don’t like one of many veggies or are lacking one, use additional of one other, or change it with asparagus, shallots or tomatoes. (You can grill the tomatoes or cube them and add them uncooked.)
- Pearl Couscous Swaps: Orzo is the perfect substitute, however any small-shaped pasta would work.
- Gluten-Free Options: If you will discover it, substitute gluten-free pearl couscous. You may use gluten-free orzo or quinoa.
- Dairy-Free and Vegan: Omit the feta. The dressing gained’t be as creamy, nevertheless it’ll nonetheless be delish.
- Olives: Add sliced kalamata or Castelvetrano olives (or capers) for a tangy chunk.
- Make It a Main Dish: Add diced grilled hen or grilled shrimp so as to add protein. To preserve it vegetarian, add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas for some plant-based protein.
- No grill? Cook the veggies on a grill pan in your range or beneath the broiler. To broil, place the greens on a foil-lined sheet pan and broil for about 5 minutes. Keep a watch on them as a result of it doesn’t take lengthy for them to go from completely cooked to burned.
What to Serve with Couscous Salad
This vegetable couscous salad could be paired with absolutely anything you’re grilling. After the veggies are finished, throw on some protein and let it prepare dinner when you end making the salad. Here are some foremost dish concepts:
If you’re internet hosting a summer season get together, my Creamy Cucumber Salad, Rainbow Potato Salad, or Watermelon Feta Salad would spherical out the meal.
It would even be an excellent vegetarian entrée when you enhance the portion measurement.
Storage and Meal Prep Tips
- Make Ahead: If you’re serving this salad at a celebration, you may make it as much as 1 day early to provide the flavors time to meld. Cover and refrigerate the dish; then toss the salad earlier than serving to redistribute the dressing.
- Storage: Refrigerate couscous salad in an hermetic container for as much as 5 days.
- Meal Prep: Since it lasts so lengthy within the fridge, it’s glorious for meal prep. If the pasta soaks up an excessive amount of of the dressing, add a splash of olive oil or lemon juice earlier than eating. You can eat it chilly or let it sit out on the counter for 15 to half-hour to convey it to room temperature.
More Summer Pasta Salads You’ll Love
For extra aspect dish concepts, take a look at these 5 scrumptious pasta salad recipes to encourage your subsequent meal!
If you make this Mediterranean couscous salad recipe, I’d like to see it. Tag me in your images or movies on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook! And make sure you be a part of the Skinnytaste Community to see what everybody’s cooking!
Yield: 6 servings
Serving Size: 3 /4 cup (beneficiant)
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In a medium saucepan, mix 1 ½ cups of water and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and produce to a boil. Once boiling, stir within the couscous. Reduce the warmth to low and canopy. Cook for 12 minutes. Turn the warmth off, vent the lid, and let sit when you prep the remainder of the salad.
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Add the minimize veggies to a big mixing bowl. Spray generously with the olive oil spray and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Toss to mix.
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Preheat a grill to medium-high warmth and flippantly oil the grates. Transfer the veggies to the grill in a fair layer. Cook, flipping a number of occasions, till comfortable and properly charred, about 10 minutes. Remove the veggies from the grill and switch the warmth off. Let the greens sit till they’re cool sufficient to deal with.
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In the meantime, make the dressing. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, feta cheese, basil, and 1 tablespoon of water to a small food processor. Season with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Blend till evenly mixed. Set apart.
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Once the greens are cool sufficient to deal with, minimize them into bite-size items and add them to a mixing bowl. Add the couscous and dressing and toss to mix. Best served heat or room temperature.
Last Step:
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Variations:
- Vegetables: If you don’t like one of many veggies or are lacking one, use additional of one other, or change it with asparagus, shallots or tomatoes. (You can grill the tomatoes or cube them and add them uncooked.)
- Pearl Couscous Swaps: Orzo is the perfect substitute, however any small-shaped pasta would work.
- Gluten-Free Options: If you will discover it, substitute gluten-free pearl couscous. You may use gluten-free orzo or quinoa.
- Dairy-Free and Vegan: Omit the feta. The dressing gained’t be as creamy, nevertheless it’ll nonetheless be delish.
- Make It a Main Dish: Add diced grilled hen or grilled shrimp so as to add protein. To preserve it vegetarian, add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas for some plant-based protein.
- No grill? Cook the veggies on a grill pan in your range or beneath the broiler. To broil, place the greens on a foil-lined sheet pan and broil for about 5 minutes. Keep a watch on them as a result of it doesn’t take lengthy for them to go from completely cooked to burned.
Serving: 3 /4 cup (beneficiant), Calories: 212 kcal, Carbohydrates: 36 g, Protein: 8.5 g, Fat: 4.5 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 5.5 mg, Sodium: 100 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 5.5 g
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