Easy Vegetarian Couscous Salad Recipe

Vegetarian couscous salad
Ian O'Leary / Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Like couscous salads? This one is just about perfect. It's an easy vegetarian and vegan couscous salad recipe bursting with chickpeas, green onions, tomatoes and cucumbers in a light lemon Dijon dressing topped off with chopped fresh parsley. It's perfect as a side dish to accompany anything you're putting on the grill, or, it makes a nice and light healthy vegetarian lunch. 

Along with the more traditional pasta salads and bean salads, a couscous salad is always a good choice to bring to a spring or summer vegetarian or vegan potluck or picnic if you need ideas. This simple and easy vegetarian couscous salad recipe is courtesy of Fantastic Foods.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups couscous, or 2 cups cooked couscous, cooled

  • 6 green onions, chopped

  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

  • 1 cup chopped cucumber

  • 1/2 cup garbanzo beans, precooked or canned, drained and rinsed

  • 1 cup chopped fresh parsley

  • 3/4 cup olive oil

  • 1/2 cup lemon juice

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, or kosher salt, to taste

  • 1 dash freshly ground black pepper, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. If using raw couscous, cook it according to the package instructions. Couscous cooks very quickly, so this should take you less than ten minutes total. Quick tip: Cook your couscous in vegetable broth instead of water to maximize the flavor. 

  2. Set your couscous aside and allow it to cool slightly before proceeding. It doesn't need to be completely cooled. That is, it's OK if it's still warm, but it shouldn't still be steaming hot.

  3. Combine the cooked and cooled couscous, the chopped green onions, tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, and fresh chopped parsley in a large bowl.

  4. In a separate small bowl, whisk or blend together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard, coriander, and salt.

  5. Pour this dressing over the couscous, tossing gently to coat.

    Looking for more ideas for what to bring to a vegetarian or vegan potluck or picnic? Most people will bring a traditional dish like a vegetarian pasta salad or a vegetarian potato salad and there will likely be plenty of bean salads too. Just about any vegan dessert will always be welcome, and, the last vegan potluck I went to, I brought vegan spring rolls and they were gone in a flash (in hindsight, I should have made a double batch!). 

    Looking for more vegetarian or vegan couscous salad ideas? Here's a few more to try:

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
410 Calories
28g Fat
35g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 410
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g 36%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 466mg 20%
Total Carbohydrate 35g 13%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 26mg 129%
Calcium 54mg 4%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 339mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)