Easy Couscous Salad

We are obsessed with this couscous salad recipe! We love the simple lemon dressing, crisp veggies, and fresh herbs!

Try this couscous salad once, and I think you’ll be as obsessed with it as we are. The dressing used in this salad is so good that I use it all the time (see it used in our chickpea salad and this arugula couscous salad).

It’s been years since we first shared this easy salad, but I still rank it as one of my top salad recipes! The trick is to make your dressing, then add cooked couscous while it’s still hot. As it cools, it soaks up all the delicious lemony flavor from the dressing. A total winner!

Key Ingredients

• Couscous: I use pearl couscous (also called Israeli couscous). It resembles tiny pearls and cooks like pasta (about 10 minutes). You can substitute regular couscous or swap in your favorite grain or small pasta shape (think quinoa, farro, or orzo). I also use it for this arugula salad.
• Cucumber and Tomato: I love the color and fresh flavor of cucumber in this easy salad, but you can add any of your favorite veggies!
• Fresh Herbs: This dish really benefits from the fresh herbs. I toss in a lot of them and particularly love fresh parsley, basil, dill, and mint.
• Walnuts and Raisins: These add some texture, and I love the little pop of sweet flavor when you get a raisin. I love walnuts, but other nuts are fine. I use golden raisins in the video, but regular or other dried fruits work, too.
• Homemade Dressing: This simple dressing has so much flavor! You’ll combine fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey or maple syrup, and extra-virgin olive oil. It’s light and fresh. I use the same dressing for this salad as other recipes on Inspired Taste (like this chickpea salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and chickpeas).

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make My Favorite Couscous Salad

Tip 1: Cook the couscous first. If you are using pearl couscous, cook it the same way you’d cook orzo or other small pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the couscous, and cook until al dente (for me, that’s about 10 minutes, but check your package for guidance). When it’s ready, drain it and set it aside. There’s no need to rinse it.

Tip 2: Make the dressing. While the couscous cooks, make your salad dressing in the bottom of a big bowl. It’s really simple. Whisk the oil, mustard, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together until blended.

Tip 3: Add the warm couscous to the dressing. Here’s the secret to a really flavorful couscous salad. When you toss warm couscous with the dressing, it soaks up all the dressing’s flavor (I use the same trick with warm potatoes when making potato salad and with warm pasta when making orzo pasta salad). It makes such a difference.

Tip 4: Fold in the fresh ingredients. Let the couscous cool enough so it’s not hot to the touch, then mix in fresh tomatoes and cucumbers (you can even add more veggies at this point, too, if you want). If you have them on hand, this is also when you’ll want to mix in fresh herbs.

Tip 5: Finish with more texture. The best salads have a bunch of different textures. I love the crisp, fresh cucumber and juicy tomatoes, but to really make this great, mix in crunchy nuts and soft, chewy raisins.

Serving Suggestions

We make this salad often, and I love having it in my fridge ready to snack on or add to my plate alongside other dishes. It’s light, cold, and fresh. Here are a few of our favorite dishes to serve it with:

• Juicy Grilled Chicken
• Easy Salmon Patties
• Baked Lemon Chicken Breasts
• Lemon Dill Baked Salmon
• Baked Pork Chops
• Oven Baked Trout

More Easy Salad Recipes

• White Bean Salad
• The Best Quinoa Salad
• Chopped Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Arugula Fennel Salad with Orange