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This pearl couscous salad is simply what you want for all your summer time potlucks. The couscous is cooked in vegetable broth to make it fluffy and flavorful, then it’s mixed with recent veggies, feta cheese, and a zesty lemon French dressing for the last word Mediterranean taste mixture!
Seeking to swap up your summer time salad sport? After you make this pearl couscous salad, strive quinoa salad or Greek orzo salad! They’re mild and recent however filled with hearty pasta and grains.

Pearl Couscous Salad
Pearl couscous (often known as Israeli couscous) is a bit greater than common Moroccan couscous. Due to this, it’s the right dimension for throwing into summer time salads! If you happen to’ve by no means tried this pearl-shaped pasta, you’re going to like it. If you cook dinner it in broth (immediately I’m utilizing vegetable) it turns into mild, fluffy, and so flavorful!
At this time’s pearl couscous salad recipe has a scrumptious Mediterranean twist. I added chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, and crumbled feta cheese, all coated in a beautiful lemon vinaigrette. And naturally, each Mediterranean dish wants some recent herbs, so this salad is full of recent chopped parsley. Belief me, this recipe goes to be a game-changer for all your summer time barbecues.
Components Wanted
Moreover the couscous, this salad makes use of a variety of nice components. It’s jam-packed with recent veggies and a home made lemon French dressing you’ll love! I’ve linked my recipe under. You may as well discover precise measurements within the recipe card on the finish of the publish.
- Additional Virgin Olive Oil: For toasting your couscous in.
- Pearl Couscous: That is the star of the present, a small pasta created from semolina flour! Some debate whether or not it’s a grain or a pasta, however one factor is for sure- it provides the BEST texture to this salad!
- Vegetable Broth: As soon as the couscous is toasted, then it’s cooked on this broth to make it fluffy and add taste. You may as well use hen or mushroom broth for those who want.
- Lemon Juice: As a result of no Mediterranean recipe is full with out a splash of lemon juice!
- Garlic Powder: The savory taste helps to stability out the lemon juice and French dressing.
- Salt and Pepper: Season to style.
- Contemporary Parsley: An effective way so as to add an additional pop of taste! You may as well use basil, mint, or rosemary.
- English Cucumber: Cucumbers are a should for any summer time salad. They’ve the most effective crunch and are so refreshing!
- Grape Tomatoes: Add a bit colour and sweetness to the pearl couscous salad.
- Crimson Onion: Chopped purple onions add a tasty crunch and savory taste to the salad.
- Crumbled Feta Cheese: For some tangy, tacky taste.
- Easy Lemon Vinaigrette: One of the best dressing to toss your pearl couscous salad in! It’s brilliant, tangy, and coats the couscous and veggies completely.
Make Pearl Couscous Salad
All you need to do is toast your couscous, then toss all your components collectively! It’s so easy! You’ll have it prepared in lower than half-hour.
- Toast Couscous: Warmth your olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium excessive warmth. Add in your couscous and toast it within the oil for about 5 minutes, stirring sometimes.
- Prepare dinner in Broth: As soon as the couscous is toasted, add within the vegetable broth, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Carry the liquid to a rolling boil. Cut back warmth to low, cowl, and simmer the couscous for 13-Quarter-hour.
- Simmer: Uncover the couscous and fluff with a fork. The entire liquid needs to be absorbed so proceed to simmer for a couple of extra minutes if there’s liquid remaining.
- Put together French dressing: Whereas the couscous cooks, put together the vinaigrette by following the linked recipe and set it apart.
- Take away From Warmth: As soon as the couscous is totally cooked and tender, take away it from the warmth.
- Add the cucumber, tomatoes, purple onion, parsley, feta, and French dressing.
- Toss and Serve: Gently toss to coat the components and serve!

Tasty Variations
Like different pasta salads, this pearl couscous salad is tremendous customizable. Swap out the dressing, use totally different veggies, the selection is yours!
- Use a Completely different Dressing: If you happen to don’t need to use lemon French dressing to your pearl couscous salad, you’ll be able to swap it out for issues like Greek salad dressing, balsamic vinaigrette, or Green goddess dressing. You possibly can additionally add a drizzle of tzatziki sauce for those who’d like.
- Extra Combine-Ins: Be happy to throw in kalamata olives, sliced avocados, chickpeas, bell peppers, butternut squash, cauliflower, broccoli, pine nuts, or inexperienced onions to your pearl couscous salad.
- Add Herbs: As a substitute of parsley, strive including recent mint or recent basil for some aromatics and taste!

Storing Leftover Pearl Couscous Salad
I really feel like this pearl couscous salad nearly tastes higher the longer it’s saved. This permits the French dressing to sink into the pasta, giving it extra taste in every chunk! This salad can also be nice for making forward and taking up the go. That’s why it’s so good for potlucks!
- Within the Fridge: Leftovers might be stored in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as per week.

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Warmth your olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium excessive warmth. Add in your couscous and toast it within the oil for about 5 minutes, stirring sometimes.
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As soon as the couscous is toasted, add within the vegetable broth, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Carry the liquid to a rolling boil. Cut back warmth to low, cowl, and simmer the couscous for 13-Quarter-hour.
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Uncover the couscous and fluff with a fork. The entire liquid needs to be absorbed so proceed to simmer for a couple of extra minutes if there’s liquid remaining.
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Whereas the couscous cooks, put together the vinaigrette by following the linked recipe and set it apart.
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As soon as the couscous is totally cooked and tender, take away it from the warmth.
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Add the cucumber, tomatoes, purple onion, parsley, feta, and French dressing. Gently toss to coat the components and serve!
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Leftovers might be stored in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as per week.
Serves: 8
Energy220kcal (11%)Carbohydrates37g (12%)Protein7g (14%)Fats5g (8%)Saturated Fats1g (5%)Polyunsaturated Fats1gMonounsaturated Fats3gLdl cholesterol4mg (1%)Sodium763mg (32%)Potassium151mg (4%)Fiber3g (12%)Sugar2g (2%)Vitamin A489IU (10%)Vitamin C7mg (8%)Calcium42mg (4%)Iron1mg (6%)
All dietary data relies on third social gathering calculations and is barely an estimate. Every recipe and dietary worth will differ relying on the manufacturers you utilize, measuring strategies and portion sizes per family.