Couscous Salad

This couscous salad recipe is a delicious make-ahead lunch or side dish. It's filled with fresh veggies, chickpeas, feta, herbs, and a bright lemon dressing.

Jeanine Donofrio

Phoebe Moore

Updated Jul 10, 2026

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This couscous salad recipe is a celebration of fresh summer flavors. It’s filled with herbs like basil and thyme, crisp cucumbers, and raw and roasted cherry tomatoes. Along with the tender pearl couscous, I add chickpeas for protein and feta cheese for a rich, tangy kick. A bright lemon dressing ties the whole thing together.

If you don’t often cook with couscous, you might not know that it’s made with water and semolina—the same ingredients used to make many types of pasta. So in a lot of ways, this couscous salad recipe is similar to a pasta salad. It keeps well if you make it ahead, so it’s perfect for packing up for lunches and picnics. And while it makes a great side dish, it works just as nicely as a fresh vegetarian main. I have it on repeat in my kitchen every summer. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Couscous Salad Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this couscous salad recipe:

• Couscous, of course! I love chewy pearl couscous here, which is larger than traditional North African couscous. Look for it in the grain section of your grocery store, labeled as either pearl couscous or sometimes Israeli couscous. In a pinch, regular couscous works too, though the smaller grains will give the salad a softer texture.
• Cherry tomatoes – The combination of roasted tomatoes and raw tomatoes creates wonderful texture and flavor.
• Chickpeas – I make roasted chickpeas to add crunch and protein to the salad.
• A pinch of smoked paprika – I toss it with the chickpeas for smoky depth of flavor.
• Olive oil and lemon juice – They create a light, bright salad dressing for this recipe.
• Garlic – For savory bite.
• Fresh herbs – I love basil and thyme here, but any soft, leafy herbs will shine in this salad. Try adding parsley, dill, oregano, or fresh mint!
• Cucumbers – These add a fresh, crisp element to the salad.
• Feta cheese – It adds creamy texture and tangy, salty flavor.
• And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Couscous Salad

This pearl couscous salad has 5 main steps:

1. Start by making the roasted tomatoes. Heads up: this process is super hands-off, but it takes a while, about 2 hours. The long, slow roast at a low temperature causes the tomatoes to shrivel and cook down without bursting, giving them a deep savory, umami flavor. Tip: Do this step in advance to make the salad quick to toss together!

2. Make the roasted chickpeas. This process is quicker—it just takes canned chickpeas 25-30 minutes to crisp up in the oven. You can also streamline by subbing store-bought roasted chickpeas.

3. Cook the couscous. Cooking pearl couscous couldn’t be easier. I prepare it just like pasta! Boiled in salted water, it reaches al dente perfection in about 9 minutes. After cooking, set it aside to cool. You don’t want the hot couscous to wilt the fresh ingredients.

4. Make the dressing. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper at the bottom of a large bowl.

5. Toss the salad together. Add the couscous, tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, feta, and basil to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat. Season to taste and top with more basil, thyme, and a big drizzle of olive oil.

Enjoy!

What to Serve with Couscous Salad

This couscous salad recipe is a fantastic summer side dish. Serve it with anything you’re grilling—bbq tofu, black bean burgers, etc.

I also love it as a main dish, either on its own for lunch or with a side of grilled vegetables for dinner. For an even larger meal, serve it with hummus or baba ganoush and fresh pita bread.

More Salad Recipes to Try

If you love this pearl couscous salad, try one of these delicious salad recipes next:

• Quinoa Salad
• Easy Pasta Salad
• Orzo Salad
• Or any of these 52 Best Salad Recipes!

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Couscous Salad

rate this recipe:

4.97 from 82 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Roast Tomatoes: 3 hours hrs

Serves 4

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This fresh Mediterranean couscous salad recipe is a delicious summer side dish or meal prep lunch. It's filled with raw and roasted cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, chickpeas, and herbs. I like to roast the tomatoes in advance for quicker assembly.

Ingredients

• 4 cups cherry tomatoes, half for roasting, half raw
• 1 cup dry pearl couscous
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Leaves from 6 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ cups roasted chickpeas, tossed with ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika before roasting
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese

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Instructions

• Roast 2 cups of the cherry tomatoes according to this roasted tomatoes recipe. These can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for a few days.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the couscous according to the package directions until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme leaves, salt, and several grinds of pepper. Add the cooled couscous and toss. Slice the remaining raw cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl along with the roasted tomatoes, the chickpeas, basil, cucumbers, and feta. Toss to combine and season to taste.
• Top the salad with more thyme, basil, and a generous drizzle of olive oil and serve.

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Nutrition Facts

Couscous Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 359 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 11mg4%

Sodium 314mg14%

Potassium 635mg18%

Carbohydrates 58g19%

Fiber 8g33%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 14g28%

Vitamin A 907IU18%

Vitamin C 38mg46%

Calcium 127mg13%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.