Mediterranean Couscous Salad

The following recipe and photography were provided courtesy of Julia of A Cedar Spoon.

Que all of the summer flavor! This Mediterranean Couscous Salad is a light, fresh salad that mixes your favorite Mediterranean ingredients with couscous and a light lemon dressing.

You will love the crunchy fresh vegetables and chickpeas, paired with olives, feta cheese and fresh herbs. Add this alongside grilled chicken, steak or seafood for the most refreshing meal.

Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the Salad 

• 1 cup of pearl couscous or Israeli couscous
• 14 oz. of artichoke hearts, chopped
• 12 oz. of roasted red peppers, chopped
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/4 cup of red onion, diced
• 1 medium English cucumber, diced
• 1/2 cup of pitted kalamata olives, sliced
• 4 oz. of feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 cups of arugula (or greens of your choice)
• 4-5 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

For the Dressing 

• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon juiced (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 to 2 tsp. of spice of your choice (I like sumac, za’atar or Italian seasoning)

Instructions

1. Cook the couscous according to package instructions.
2. While it cooks, place the artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, red onion, English cucumber, olives, feta cheese, arugula, green onions, parsley and mint in a large mixing bowl. Set aside
3. In a mason jar or salad dressing container, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and spice of your choice and stir or whisk together.
4. Add the couscous to the salad once it has cooled. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss lightly to combine.
5. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container.

Notes

• If you cannot find Israeli couscous, you may substitute with a small pasta, shape such as orzo, or use regular couscous.
• I like to refrigerate this salad for a few hours before serving so the flavors mix well. You can also refresh the salad with more dressing. This salad will keep up to 4 days, but the tomatoes may start to get mushy.
• If you know you are eating this salad over the course of the week, I suggest waiting to add tomatoes until you are ready to eat.

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