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This pearl couscous salad is simply what you want for all your summer time potlucks. The couscous is cooked in vegetable broth to make it fluffy and flavorful, then it’s mixed with recent veggies, feta cheese, and a zesty lemon French dressing for the last word Mediterranean taste mixture!
Seeking to swap up your summer time salad recreation? After you make this pearl couscous salad, attempt quinoa salad or Greek orzo salad! They’re gentle and recent however filled with hearty pasta and grains.

Pearl Couscous Salad
Pearl couscous (often known as Israeli couscous) is a bit larger than common Moroccan couscous. Due to this, it’s the right dimension for throwing into summer time salads! When you’ve by no means tried this pearl-shaped pasta, you’re going to find it irresistible. If you cook dinner it in broth (as we speak I’m utilizing vegetable) it turns into gentle, fluffy, and so flavorful!
Right now’s pearl couscous salad recipe has a scrumptious Mediterranean twist. I added chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, and crumbled feta cheese, all coated in a beautiful lemon French dressing. And naturally, each Mediterranean dish wants some recent herbs, so this salad is crammed with recent chopped parsley. Belief me, this recipe goes to be a game-changer for all your summer time barbecues.
Elements Wanted
In addition to the couscous, this salad makes use of a number of nice elements. It’s jam-packed with recent veggies and a home made lemon French dressing you’ll love! I’ve linked my recipe under. You can even discover precise measurements within the recipe card on the finish of the publish.
- Additional Virgin Olive Oil: For toasting your couscous in.
- Pearl Couscous: That is the star of the present, a small pasta produced from semolina flour! Some debate whether or not it’s a grain or a pasta, however one factor is for sure- it provides the BEST texture to this salad!
- Vegetable Broth: As soon as the couscous is toasted, then it’s cooked on this broth to make it fluffy and add taste. You can even use rooster or mushroom broth in case you favor.
- Lemon Juice: As a result of no Mediterranean recipe is full and not using a splash of lemon juice!
- Garlic Powder: The savory taste helps to steadiness out the lemon juice and French dressing.
- Salt and Pepper: Season to style.
- Recent Parsley: A good way so as to add an additional pop of taste! You can even use basil, mint, or rosemary.
- English Cucumber: Cucumbers are a should for any summer time salad. They’ve the perfect crunch and are so refreshing!
- Grape Tomatoes: Add somewhat shade and sweetness to the pearl couscous salad.
- Purple Onion: Chopped purple onions add a tasty crunch and savory taste to the salad.
- Crumbled Feta Cheese: For some tangy, tacky taste.
- Simple Lemon French dressing: One of the best dressing to toss your pearl couscous salad in! It’s shiny, tangy, and coats the couscous and veggies completely.
Easy methods to Make Pearl Couscous Salad
All it’s a must to do is toast your couscous, then toss all your elements collectively! It’s so easy! You’ll have it prepared in lower than half-hour.
- Toast Couscous: Warmth your olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium excessive warmth. Add in your couscous and toast it within the oil for about 5 minutes, stirring sometimes.
- Prepare dinner in Broth: As soon as the couscous is toasted, add within the vegetable broth, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Deliver the liquid to a rolling boil. Scale back warmth to low, cowl, and simmer the couscous for 13-Quarter-hour.
- Simmer: Uncover the couscous and fluff with a fork. The entire liquid ought to be absorbed so proceed to simmer for a number of extra minutes if there may be liquid remaining.Â
- Put together French dressing: Whereas the couscous cooks, put together the French dressing by following the linked recipe and set it apart.
- Take away From Warmth: As soon as the couscous is absolutely cooked and tender, take away it from the warmth.Â
- Add the cucumber, tomatoes, purple onion, parsley, feta, and French dressing.
- Toss and Serve: Gently toss to coat the elements and serve!

Tasty Variations
Like different pasta salads, this pearl couscous salad is tremendous customizable. Swap out the dressing, use completely different veggies, the selection is yours!
- Use a Totally different Dressing: When you don’t wish to use lemon French dressing on your pearl couscous salad, you possibly can swap it out for issues like Greek salad dressing, balsamic French dressing, or Inexperienced goddess dressing. You could possibly additionally add a drizzle of tzatziki sauce in case you’d like.
- Extra Combine-Ins: Be happy to throw in kalamata olives, sliced avocados, chickpeas, bell peppers, butternut squash, cauliflower, broccoli, pine nuts, or inexperienced onions to your pearl couscous salad.
- Add Herbs: As a substitute of parsley, attempt including recent mint or recent basil for some aromatics and taste!

Storing Leftover Pearl Couscous Salad
I really feel like this pearl couscous salad nearly tastes higher the longer it’s saved. This enables the French dressing to sink into the pasta, giving it extra taste in every chunk! This salad can also be nice for making forward and taking over the go. That’s why it’s so excellent for potlucks!
- Within the Fridge: Leftovers could be stored in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as every week.

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Warmth your olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium excessive warmth. Add in your couscous and toast it within the oil for about 5 minutes, stirring sometimes.
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As soon as the couscous is toasted, add within the vegetable broth, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Deliver the liquid to a rolling boil. Scale back warmth to low, cowl, and simmer the couscous for 13-Quarter-hour.
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Uncover the couscous and fluff with a fork. The entire liquid ought to be absorbed so proceed to simmer for a number of extra minutes if there may be liquid remaining.
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Whereas the couscous cooks, put together the French dressing by following the linked recipe and set it apart.
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As soon as the couscous is absolutely cooked and tender, take away it from the warmth.
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Add the cucumber, tomatoes, purple onion, parsley, feta, and French dressing. Gently toss to coat the elements and serve!
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Leftovers could be stored in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as every week.
Serves: 8
Energy220kcal (11%)Carbohydrates37g (12%)Protein7g (14%)Fats5g (8%)Saturated Fats1g (5%)Polyunsaturated Fats1gMonounsaturated Fats3gLdl cholesterol4mg (1%)Sodium763mg (32%)Potassium151mg (4%)Fiber3g (12%)Sugar2g (2%)Vitamin A489IU (10%)Vitamin C7mg (8%)Calcium42mg (4%)Iron1mg (6%)
All dietary info is predicated on third occasion calculations and is barely an estimate. Every recipe and dietary worth will differ relying on the manufacturers you employ, measuring strategies and portion sizes per family.