Israeli Couscous Vegetable Salad
If you haven’t noticed yet, salads are my comfort food as a vegan. Yup, you heard me right. I cannot get enough. That’s because no salad is alike. Every time I get to build a new salad, the creative juices start flowing. Salads are so adaptable. The sky’s the limit as far as which direction you want to take. I could go on and on listing out the different varieties there are but we will save that for another blog post. I can imagine that whoever said that salads were boring, just doesn’t know how to make them. It no longer consists of iceberg lettuce, shredded carrot, croutons, and Hidden Valley Ranch.
Thick couscous is the base of this incredible salad. Its zesty lemon dressing coupled with colorful vegetables, crunchy almonds, and soft chickpeas make it an all-in-one salad that will rock your taste buds. It’s truly one of my favorite recipes and it is perfect for the hot summer season. Don’t look any further, you have found your BBQ potluck dish. The vibrant colors of this salad indicate the rainbow of vegetables you will consume with just one serving. Go ahead, give it a try. I will be waiting here for a “thanks”. LOL
The Salad Ingredients
The ingredients in this salad are so healthy and come together perfectly. Check out the ingredients:
- Israeli couscous
- chickpeas
- cherry tomatoes
- cucumber
- red onion
- green onion
- greens
- slivered almonds
- fresh parsley
- fresh basil
The Dressing Ingredients
- lemon juice
- lemon zest
- apple cider vinegar
- EV olive oil
- Dijon mustard
- maple syrup
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
How to Assemble the Salad
Start with making the couscous over the stove according to the package directions. I used 1 and 1/3 cups of dry couscous. While that is cooking, chop all of your vegetables. Add them to a large bowl. Now, make the dressing. Add all of the ingredients to a mason jar with a lid. Shake until everything is well incorporated. Add the dressing to the salad and give everything a good mix. I like to make this salad a few hours before serving because it tastes great when it is cold.
Why You Will Love This Salad
If you like lemon, you will definitely love this salad. Every time zest is included in a dressing, that is an indication of the stronger lemon kick and I adore it. You could always remove the zest if you are not feeling that zest punch.
It’s packed with a variety of wonderful vegetables, nuts, legumes, and herbs which are all some of the planet’s most healthy offerings to us humans. You will feel so healthy after eating this healthy salad and eating seconds would actually be a good thing!
It’s easy to make. I know that a complicated salad recipe can be intimidating to make and ultimately keep people from making this healthy lunch option. Most of us want easy. Well, here you go. Not only is this quite simple to throw together, but it also makes a huge serving which makes it totally worth spending time on. (If I can get 2-3 meals out of it, sign me up).
Simple Substitutes
You can definitely modify this salad to your liking, which is another perk of this dish. Any of the vegetables can be removed or simply replaced with any variety of tomatoes, bell pepper, carrots, or chives. The nuts can be replaced with walnuts, pecans, and pistachios, or removed altogether. The dressing is up to you! You can use any Italian-based dressing, I just strongly recommend the one included in this recipe.
Israeli Couscous Vegetable Salad
Equipment
- 1 large bowl for the salad
- 1 pot for cooking couscous
Ingredients
Salad
- 1⅓ cup dry couscous
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup English cucumber, sliced and halved
- ½ small-medium red onion, minced
- 3-4 green onions, sliced
- 2 cups salad greens, roughly chopped Spring mix, or spinach work well
- ⅓ cup slivered almonds
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced this can be optional
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced this can be optional
Lemon Zest Dressing
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar White balsamic works also
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tsp of garlic powder works, also
- zest from 1 lemon
- juice from ½ a medium lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the couscous according to package instructions.
- While the couscous is cooking, chop and mince all of the vegetables. Wash and drain the chickpeas.
- Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl.
- Make the dressing and pour it on top of the salad ingredients. Mix everything well.
- Serve immedietaly or store in the fridge for a few hours to chill.
Notes
- I like to make this salad ahead of time so that I can serve it chilled. I usually keep it in the fridge for a minimum of 1-2 hours or overnight.
- The couscous can soak up a lot of the dressing. I like to save a little and keep it in the fridge to add to the salad the next day. This is totally optional. The salad will still taste great if you skip this step.
- The salad should keep up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Enjoy!
XOXO
Michelle