Vegetable Couscous – The Almond Eater

21 de July de 2023

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This quick and flavorful Vegetable Couscous is the right gentle and refreshing facet dish in your picnic or potluck. Each chunk options one of the best of summer time produce, with fluffy couscous and recent greens tossed along with a zesty Mediterranean dressing.

vegetable couscous inside of a bowl with a spoon

While you wish to have fun one of the best of summer time produce, make this Vegetable Couscous recipe! Like my zesty quinoa salad, it incorporates a medley of vibrant Mediterranean-inspired flavors your company gained’t have the ability to get sufficient of at picnics, potlucks, and get-togethers.

This gentle and refreshing salad is simple to place along with fluffy couscous, recent greens, and a zesty Mediterranean French dressing. It’s versatile, too, so be happy to place your individual spin on it! Add your favourite protein to make it a meal, swap up the veggies, or make it with roasted greens. The choices are infinite!

Recipe options

It’s a easy vegetarian facet dish you’ll be able to rapidly put collectively for the summer time potluck or picnic. You possibly can even add protein to make it a standalone meal!
From cooking the quinoa to chopping the veggies to creating the dressing, it’s a straightforward facet dish that’s prepared in lower than 1 hour.
Simply combine and match the recent produce with what’s in season to get pleasure from variations of this Mediterranean salad with couscous all 12 months spherical!

Substances

all of the vegetable couscous ingredients in bowls on a counter with labels showing what is in each bowl

Couscous – Couscous is a kind of small, spherical pasta made out of durum wheat semolina. Sadly, this implies it’s not gluten free. When cooked, it has a lightweight and fluffy texture and a gentle, nutty taste. Each common and Israeli couscous will work on this salad however needless to say common couscous has a smaller grain dimension, whereas Israeli couscous is bigger and is barely chewier.

Tomatoes – Grape or cherry tomatoes add a juicy burst of taste whereas giving the salad a lift of fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C.

Zucchini – Don’t overlook uncooked zucchini for salad! It tastes nice right here and provides quite a lot of wholesome nutritional vitamins and minerals.

Feta cheese – A traditional Mediterranean cheese that’s salty, creamy, and crumbly. When you choose milder cheese, attempt cotija, goat cheese, or freshly grated parmesan.

Basil – I used recent basil, however be happy to throw in some recent mint and parsley for a burst of vibrant and refreshing flavors.

Dressing – This vegetable couscous salad is wearing a easy French dressing made out of olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, and black pepper.

Step-by-step directions

Step 1: Cook dinner the couscous. When you haven’t already, prepare dinner the couscous in accordance with the package deal directions.

Step 2: Chop the veggies. In the meantime, quarter the tomatoes, chop the zucchini, cube the bell pepper, and cube the purple onion.

all ingredients for the vegetable couscous separated in a mixing bowl

Step 3: Make the dressing. Whisk the olive oil, salt, garlic, lemon juice, mustard, honey, and black pepper in a small bowl.

Step 4: Toss all the things collectively. As soon as the couscous is cooked, switch it to a big bowl together with the chopped veggies, feta cheese, and basil. Pour the dressing over prime and toss to mix. Get pleasure from!

vegetable couscous inside of a mixing bowl with a spoon

Ideas and FAQs

Think about cooking the couscous in vegetable broth as an alternative of water to infuse it with further taste.
After cooking couscous, ALWAYS fluff it up with a fork to assist break up the clumps and provides it a lightweight and fluffy texture.

Tip

The couscous salad might be served proper after it’s assembled, however the flavors get so significantly better after letting it chill within the fridge for at the least 1 hour. This offers the substances extra time to meld and mingle.

How do you prepare dinner couscous?

At all times discuss with the package deal directions earlier than cooking the couscous. In any other case, it’s a reasonably easy course of: (1) Boil some water or broth in a pot, then (2) add the couscous and instantly take away the pot from the warmth. (3) Give it a fast stir, place a lid on the pot, and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

What else are you able to add to vegetable couscous salad?

Along with tomatoes, zucchini, bell pepper, and purple onion, you’ll be able to add diced cucumber, shredded carrots, chickpeas, sliced black olives, or avocado. Think about sprinkling in some toasted almonds, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds for some crunch.

Can I make this with roasted greens as an alternative?

Completely! To make roasted vegetable couscous, merely substitute the uncooked chopped veggies with pre-roasted chopped greens, like tomatoes, carrots, beets, or broccoli.

What goes effectively with couscous salad?

There are infinite most important dishes that pair effectively with this refreshing and filling couscous salad. For a Mediterranean feast, pair it with Greek hen meatballs, baked Mediterranean cod, or air fryer lamb chops!

Need to flip this recipe right into a meal? Give it a lift of protein by tossing the salad with shredded hen, cooked shrimp, steak bites, baked salmon, canned tuna, and so forth. For plant-based choices, use crispy tofu or any sort of beans, lentils, nuts, or seeds you like.

Storage

Make forward: You possibly can prepare dinner the couscous, chop the greens, and make the dressing 1 day upfront. Toss all the things collectively 30 to 60 minutes earlier than serving, then preserve it within the fridge till it’s time to eat.

Fridge: Retailer the leftover vegetable couscous in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Extra picnic-ready facet dishes

When you made this recipe, you’ll want to go away a remark and star ranking under. Thanks!