This couscous salad is a quick, healthy, and delicious meal idea. It’s full of Mediterranean flavor, takes 10 minutes to make, and is prepared in one bowl.
For more Mediterranean diet recipes, try our chickpea salad, quinoa chickpea salad, and rice salad.
Our couscous salad is simple, nourishing, and made in one bowl—just the way we like it.
As an Italian living just a short flight from North Africa, couscous is a pantry staple in our kitchen. It’s deeply rooted in Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian traditions, but it’s also beloved in southern Italy, where my Nonna would serve it at family gatherings 👵.
If you’ve seen our how to cook couscous guide, you already know it takes just 5 minutes and zero fuss. No pot. No stovetop. Just hot water and a bowl.
This salad has become a favorite for many of our readers. Unlike our warm couscous salad, this one is refreshing and served at room temperature; perfect for picnics, potlucks, and summer dinners.
Ingredients
Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
- Couscous: Use regular Moroccan couscous, tiny pasta-like granules. For a fiber boost, go with whole-wheat couscous. Cook it in hot water or use low-sodium veggie broth for more flavor.
- Flavor Boosters (add to dry couscous): Sea salt & black pepper, turmeric or saffron, ground cumin, grated garlic, lemon zest.
- Olive Oil & Lemon Juice: Swap in red/white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Chickpeas: Use canned or cooked-from-dry. Sub with cannellini beans, black beans, or lentils.
- Fresh Veggies:
- Cherry tomatoes: or any small, sweet variety.
- Red onion or shallot: sub green onions or radishes.
- Cucumber: adds crunch (fennel work too).
- Bell pepper: yellow, red, or even canned corn.
- Olives: black, green, or fancy ones like kalamata; sub marinated artichokes or sundried tomatoes.
- Parsley: flat-leaf preferred, but curly is fine. Add fresh mint, dill, or basil.
- Optional Toppings: Crumbled feta (or dairy-free feta), Yogurt tahini sauce or tzatziki, Pine nuts, or raisins.
How to Make Couscous Salad
US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
STEP 1: Cook the couscous. To a large mixing bowl, add the dry couscous, grated lemon zest, grated garlic, ground cumin, turmeric powder (optional), salt, and black pepper.
Stir well with a fork or wooden spoon until combined. Boil the water in a kettle or a pot, then pour it over the couscous.
Stir with a fork to ensure that the water covers the couscous, cover it with a plate, and set aside for 5 – 10 minutes (in the meantime, you can chop the veggies).
When the couscous fully absorbed the water, fluff with a fork to separate the granules.
STEP 2: Prep the veggies:
- Remove the stem and seeds of the bell pepper, then chop it into small dice.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters.
- Cut the cucumber in half, then each half in half again, and slice into triangles.
- Finely chop the shallot or red onion.
- Cut the olives into thin slices or in half.
- Finely chop the parsley.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
STEP 3: Mix. Add chopped vegetables and the chickpeas to the bowl with the couscous.
Season with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice and mix well until all ingredients are well combined.
Serving Suggestions
Serve right away or chill. Great for lunch, dinner, picnics, or potlucks. It’s delicious with tahini sauce and hummus.
Stuff it into: Baked sweet potatoes. Want a Greek twist? Add crumbled feta!
Storage & Make Ahead
Make ahead: Couscous salad is excellent for meal prep as it keeps well in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Refrigerator: Keep the salad in a bowl covered with a plate or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To maximize its flavor, take it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving it.
Freezer: We don’t recommend freezing the salad as the fresh veggies would lose texture and crunch.
More Easy Salads
- Lentil salad
- Shirazi salad
- Black bean salad
- Lentil carrot salad
- Moroccan carrot salad
- Tabouli salad
- Avocado salad
For more ideas, check out our 45 best salad recipe list.
If you tried this Couscous Salad or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Couscous Salad
Ingredients
Couscous
- 1 cup couscous dry
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon grated garlic
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup water just boiled
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or more to taste
Veggies
- 1 can (15-ounce) chickpeas or 1½ cups cooked
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1½ cups cucumber diced
- 1 cup yellow bell pepper diced
- 1 small red onion finely chopped
- ½ cup olives halved
- 4 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- To a large bowl, add 1 cup couscous, 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon grated garlic, ¼ teaspoon turmeric (optional), 1 teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper.Stir well with a fork until combined. Boil 1 cup water and pour it over the couscous.Stir with a fork to ensure the water covers the couscous, cover the bowl with a plate, and set aside for 5 – 10 minutes.In the meantime, chop the veggies.Fluff couscous with a fork.
- Add 1 can (15-ounce) chickpeas, 1½ cups cherry tomatoes, 1½ cups cucumber, 1 cup yellow bell pepper, 1 small red onion, ½ cup olives, and 4 tablespoons parsley to the bowl with the couscous.Season with 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Toss well then taste and adjust for salt before serving.
Video
Notes
- Couscous: Use regular or whole-wheat. Sub veggie broth for water.
- Acid: Swap lemon juice with red/white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Chickpeas: Sub with cannellini beans, black beans, or lentils.
- Tomatoes: Any small, sweet variety works.
- Onion: Use red onion, shallot, green onions, or radishes.
- Cucumber: Sub fennel for crunch.
- Bell Pepper: Use yellow, red, or canned corn.
- Olives: Swap with artichokes or sundried tomatoes.
- Herbs: Flat-leaf or curly parsley; also mint, dill, or basil.
- Toppings: Feta (or vegan), tahini sauce, tzatziki, pine nuts, raisins.
Nutrition
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We’re here to share delicious, easy, and healthy plant-based recipes (vegetarian & vegan) 🌿✨.
Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.
This is my favourite salad. Tastes so good and the colours look so good. Easy-to-follow recipe.
I’ve never cooked an ordinary meal from your recipes. Thank you.
Blaine, that’s wonderful to hear.
I’m very happy you enjoyed the couscous salad, with the turmeric it’s such a bright and yellow dish 🎉
Thank you for your kind feedback, we really appreciate your support.
All the best, Louise