Easiest Mediterranean Couscous Salad Recipe: Chickpeas, vegetables, fresh herbs, and a zesty lemon-dill vinaigrette are the ingredients that make up this Mediterranean couscous salad recipe, which is loaded with both flavor and nutrition.
Easiest Mediterranean Couscous Salad Recipe
With its adaptability, this recipe can serve as a delicious lunch, a light supper, or a side dish, depending on what you require. The tastes are enhanced the following day, and you can make it ahead of time. Make sure you watch my video and find my advice in the post that is located above.
Ingredients
- 1Â large lemon, juice of
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil (I used Greek Private Reserve)
- 1 tsp dill weed
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups Pearl Couscous
- Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil
- Water
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- ⅓ cup finely chopped red onions
- ½ English cucumber, finely chopped
- 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 14 oz can artichoke hearts, roughly chopped if needed
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives
- 15–20Â fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped or torn; more for garnish
- 3 oz fresh baby mozzarella (or feta cheese), optional
Instructions
When you are ready to prepare the lemon-dill vinaigrette, put all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette into a bowl. In order to blend, take a whisk. Leave aside for a moment. Two tablespoons of olive oil should be heated in a sturdy pot of equal size and capacity. For a few moments, sauté the couscous in the olive oil until it turns a golden brown color.
Cook the food in accordance with the instructions on the package, adding three cups of boiling water (or the amount specified on the package). To drain, use a colander when you are ready. Place in a bowl and allow to cool down. The remaining ingredients, with the exception of the mozzarella and basil, should be mixed together in a large mixing basin.
Afterward, incorporate the couscous and the basil into the mixture in a gentle manner. It is now time to add the lemon-dill vinaigrette to the couscous salad after giving it a brisk whisking at this point. One more time, mix to blend. If necessary, conduct a salt test and make any necessary adjustments. Include the mozzarella cheese in the final mixture. Add additional fresh basil as a garnish. Have fun!
Also See:
Easy Spaghettini in Blush Sauce Recipe
Tips
Simply leaving out the cheese will allow you to maintain a vegan diet. One option is to experiment with a different kind of cheese, such as feta. You are also free to make this couscous salad your own by modifying the vegetables and herbs to suit your personal preferences and the ingredients that you have available to you. For instance, you may try using spinach, bell peppers, carrots, or even little pieces of chopped broccoli.
When basil is not available, you can substitute it with mint or parsley. You have the option of preparing this couscous salad the night before, tossing it, and storing it in the refrigerator in a container with a tight-fitting lid (remember to save the mozzarella cheese until everything is ready to be served). It is important to remember to give the salad a brief toss in order to refresh it before serving, since the tastes will become more intense overnight.
If you wish to make it ahead of time as part of your lunch preparation, you should keep the dressing, onions, and cheese in the refrigerator and just use as much of each ingredient as you require for each individual lunch portion. For three to four days, it should be able to be stored in the refrigerator in a container with a secure lid.
Nutrition
- Calories 393
- % Daily Value*
- Total Fat 13g 17%
- Saturated Fat 1.8g
- Trans Fat 0g
- Total Carbohydrate 57.5g 21%
- Dietary Fiber 5.9g 21%
- Protein 13.1g 26%
- Vitamin A4%
- Vitamin C24%
- Calcium9%
- Iron10%
- Magnesium12%
- Potassium7%
- Zinc12%
- Phosphorus17%
- Thiamin (B1)13%
- Riboflavin (B2)8%
- Niacin (B3)15%
- Vitamin B610%
- Folic Acid (B9)19%
- Vitamin B123%
- Vitamin K15%
