Israeli Couscous Vegetable Salad
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.
Servings: 8
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.