Vegan Couscous Salad Recipe
This Mediterranean Couscous Salad is – fresh, vibrant, and vegan. Bursting with colours, and flavours, here is a wholesome salad recipe.
Servings: 2 adults
Calories: 675kcal
Equipment
- Salad Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 Cup water
- 1 small size red onion, finely chopped
- 1 large size tomato, finely chopped
- 1 english cucumber, finely chopped
- ¼ Cup chopped mint leaves
- ¼ Cup fine chopped parsley
- ¼ Cup chopped olives
Ingredients for Salad Dressing
- ¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large size lemon, juiced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
- 1 teaspoon za'tar spice mix
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Transfer uncooked couscous in a large bowl.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable broth or water to a boil. Pour hot water over the couscous in a bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a lid and let it sit for about 5 minutes, allowing the couscous to absorb the liquid.
- After 5 minutes, fluff the couscous with a fork to separate the grains . Let it cool to room temperature. Couscous is ready to use.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, minced or crushed garlic, za’tar, salt, and pepper until well combined. Taste, if required add more seasoning. Set aside.
- To the cooled couscous, add the halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced bell pepper, halved Kalamata olives, finely chopped red onion, chopped parsley, and chopped mint leaves.
- Cover the salad bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to come together.
- Once chilled, give the salad a final toss and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Vegan Couscous Salad is ready to serve.
Notes
- To prepare couscous, you typically add hot water or broth to the couscous, cover them, and let them steam for a few minutes until they're tender. This method helps rehydrate and cook the grains quickly. Once cooked, couscous becomes light, fluffy, and slightly chewy in texture.
- You can add brine liquid from the preserved olives or capers to the dressing. It is salty, sour, and has a delicious kick to it.
- This salad tastes best after a few hours when couscous absorbs all the flavour of the dressing. Hence, it is best to make it a few hours before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 675kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Sodium: 870mg | Potassium: 776mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1645IU | Vitamin C: 58mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 4mg