Mediterranean · Lunch · Dinner
Couscous Salad
Fluffy whole wheat couscous tossed with crunchy cucumber, sweet tomatoes, chickpeas and plenty of fresh herbs in a bright lemon and garlic dressing. Good for lunch boxes, picnics or as a light dinner.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 61% · Fat 25% · Protein 14%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 1 cup175 gwhole wheat couscous
- 1 1/4 cups300 gboiling water
- 1/2 tspsalt
- 1 1/2 cups240 gcanned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium200 gcucumber
- 1 1/2 cups225 gcherry tomatoes
- 1 medium120 gred bell pepper
- 1/2 small40 gred onion
- 1/2 cup30 gfresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup10 gfresh mint, chopped
- 3 tbsp45 glemon juice
- 1 tsplemon zest
- 2 tbsp27 gextra virgin olive oil
- 1 clovegarlic, finely grated
- 1/2 tspground cumin
- 1/4 tspblack pepper
Steps
- 1
Bring the water to a boil in a kettle or small pan.
- 2
Put the couscous and half the salt in a large heatproof bowl.
- 3
Pour the boiling water over the couscous, cover tightly and leave to steam for 5 minutes.
- 4
Fluff the couscous with a fork to separate the grains, then spread it out to cool for a few minutes.
- 5
While it steams, dice the cucumber and red pepper, halve the cherry tomatoes and finely chop the red onion.
- 6
Whisk the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, garlic, cumin, black pepper and remaining salt in a small bowl.
- 7
Add the chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, pepper and onion to the couscous.
- 8
Pour over the dressing and toss well.
- 9
Fold in the parsley and mint just before serving.
- 10
Taste and add a little more lemon juice or pepper if needed. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Swap the whole wheat couscous for cooked quinoa to make it gluten-free, as all the other ingredients are naturally gluten-free.
- Use regular or pearl couscous instead of whole wheat if that is what your shop stocks, cooking pearl couscous according to the packet.
- Replace the chickpeas with drained canned white beans or lentils for a different texture.
- Whisk a spoonful of tahini into the dressing for a creamy, still vegan and dairy-free finish.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days; the herbs and cucumber soften over time, so it is best on the first day. Do not freeze, as the cucumber and tomatoes turn watery.
Make ahead
Cook and cool the couscous, chop the vegetables and whisk the dressing up to a day ahead, keeping them in separate containers in the fridge. Combine and fold in the fresh herbs just before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: Gluten
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (355 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 335 kcal | 94 kcal |
| Protein | 12 g | 3.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 54.6 g | 15.4 g |
| of which sugars | 8.1 g | 2.3 g |
| Fiber | 10.2 g | 2.9 g |
| Fat | 10 g | 2.8 g |
| of which saturated | 1.3 g | 0.4 g |
| Sodium | 435 mg | 123 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
