Easy Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad (vegan)
This refreshing salad has it all going on. Basil, microgreens, cherry tomatoes, and avocado transform this salad into a flavor explosion. This easy cherry tomato couscous salad is simple to make and is a filling vegan main dish.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Appetizer, dinner, lunch, Salad, Side Dish, summer food
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: easy lunch, easy salad, eat the rainbow, health food, healthy food, healthy lunch, healthy lunch ideas, healthy salad recipe, salad lover, salad time, summer salad, tomato salad, vegan salad
Servings: 5 cups
Calories: 468kcal
Author: Michelle Kadera @ The Happy and Wholesome Mommy
For the Salad:
- 2 cups cooked pearl couscous I used a blend.
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped in half or quartered
- 1 cup micro greens I prefer broccoli because they are thin.
- 1 small shallot, minced
- ¼ cup minced fresh basil
- 1 avocado, cut into small cubes
For the Dressing:
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup honey will work, too.
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Cook one serving of couscous or whatever you choose to use according to package instructions. Transfer the couscous to a large salad bowl and set it aside to cool.
While the couscous is cooking, chop all of your vegetables and set them into a large bowl.
Add all of the dressing ingredients to a mason jar with a lid and give it a good shake or in a small bowl and whisk it until everything is incorporated.
Pour the dressing over top and give it a good toss.
Place a lid on the bowl, and store it in the fridge for at least an hour. This salad is great cold!
This salad is best made a few hours before serving. It will still be good the next day, however, the avocado might turn a little brown.
For leftovers, add the salad to an airtight container and in the fridge for up to one day. The avocado will turn brown which is the only reason I recommend leftovers to last just one day.
If you like heavier dressing, I recommend doubling the dressing and adding additional dressing until you like the flavor and consistency.
Note: The couscous will absorb a lot of the dressing the longer it sits. Therefore, making extra dressing to keep on hand for leftovers is a good idea.
I recommend using vegetable broth to cook the couscous. It brings out so much flavor which will only add to this delicious salad
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 468kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Sodium: 26mg | Potassium: 411mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 279IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg