Couscous salad is a quick, fresh side dish made with fluffy couscous, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and salty feta. It’s tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, and lots of herbs, so it tastes bright and light but still filling. I like it most served with simple pan-fried chicken and a tzatziki dip – such an easy, satisfying combo. Perfect for meal prep, picnics, or an easy lunch.
Why you’ll love it
- Quick and easy: couscous cooks in just 5 minutes with boiling water
- Fresh and flavorful: thanks to lemon juice, herbs, crunchy veggies, salty feta
- Perfect for meal prep: keeps well and makes an easy lunch
- Versatile: serve as a side or add protein to make it a meal
- Easy to customize with add-ins like chickpeas, olives, or extra veggies
Ingredient notes
Here’s what you need to make this easy recipe:
Couscous: This couscous salad uses quick-cooking couscous as the base (the kind you just cover with boiling water), but you can also use pearl/Israeli couscous; just cook it on the stove and let it cool before mixing.
Vegetables: I like to use tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion. Cherry or grape tomatoes work best. I like English or Persian cucumbers (less watery), but any cucumber is fine – peel and scoop out the seeds if it’s very seedy. I like to peel the cucumbers, but it’s a personal choice – I just don’t like the skin. Red onion adds some bite – if you’re not a fan, rinse it under cold water for a milder flavor (this is what I like to do).
Cheese: Feta adds a salty, creamy bite, but goat cheese also works, or you can leave it out for a dairy-free version.
Herbs: Fresh parsley and mint make it taste extra bright and herby, but a small amount of dried mint is fine in a pinch. I like to buy a large bunch of parsley, chop it, and freeze the rest – it freezes very well, and you can add it to this salad straight from the freezer (it thaws fast).
Dressing: Keep it simple with just olive oil and lemon juice, then season well with salt and pepper (taste and adjust at the end).
Variations: For a more Mediterranean version, add kalamata olives and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. To make it more filling, stir in a can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed). For a spicy twist, add a little harissa (or a pinch of chili flakes). You can also swap in other veggies like diced bell pepper, shredded carrots, chopped radishes, or a couple handfuls of arugula added right before serving.
How to make it step-by-step
Cook couscous: Add the couscous to a medium bowl and season with salt. Pour in the boiling water, cover the bowl, and set aside for 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork.
(1 cup (180g) couscous, 1 cup (240g) boiling water)
Prepare the other ingredients: Cut the tomatoes in half or quarters. Dice the cucumbers—I like to peel them, cut small cucumbers in half lengthwise, then in half lengthwise again, and slice. Crumble the feta. Finely chop the parsley and mint. Finely dice the onion and, if you want to remove some of the bite, rinse it in a sieve under cold water.
(18 small tomatoes, date or cherry tomatoes, 1 ½ small cucumbers or 1 medium, 1 medium red onion, ½ cup crumbled feta cheese, ¼ cup chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons chopped mint, or 1 teaspoon dried mint)
Combine: Add all the ingredients to a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine.
(2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice)
Enjoy!
Storage
This salad tastes best at room temperature, but it’s also good cold. You can eat it right away or let it stand for about 30 minutes so the flavors can blend. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, then let it warm up slightly on the counter before serving. If needed, refresh it with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Make ahead: You can cook the couscous up to 3 days in advance, fluff it, let it cool, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, chop the vegetables and herbs, then toss everything together and refresh with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper if needed.
Serving suggestions
My favorite way to serve it is with simple pan-fried chicken breast (flatten the breast or cut it in half horizontally, season with paprika, Italian herbs, pinch of brown sugar, salt, and pepper, then dredge in flour and pan-fry in clarified butter) and a tzatziki dip – it makes a light but flavorful dinner or lunch that we could eat endlessly.
It’s also great alongside grilled fish or shrimp with extra lemon, or with pan-fried halloumi (like this halloumi coated in hot honey and pan-fried) for an easy vegetarian option. You can even tuck it into a pita with a little hummus and greens for a quick packed lunch.
Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!
Couscous Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup (180g) couscous
- 1 cup (240g) boiling water
- 18 small tomatoes date or cherry tomatoes
- 1 ½ small cucumbers or 1 medium
- 1 medium red onion
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Instructions
- Cook couscous: Add the couscous to a medium bowl and season with salt. Pour in the boiling water, cover the bowl, and set aside for 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork.1 cup (180g) couscous, 1 cup (240g) boiling water
- Prepare the other ingredients: Cut the tomatoes in half or quarters. Dice the cucumbers—I like to peel them, cut small cucumbers in half lengthwise, then in half lengthwise again, and slice. Crumble the feta. Finely chop the parsley and mint. Finely dice the onion and, if you want to remove some of the bite, rinse it in a sieve under cold water.18 small tomatoes, 1 ½ small cucumbers or 1 medium, 1 medium red onion, ½ cup crumbled feta cheese, ¼ cup chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons chopped mint
- Combine: Add all the ingredients to a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Enjoy!
No Comments