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.
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!
Why You’ll Love This Couscous Salad
- The pearl couscous has such a fun texture. The little balls are tender and chewy, with a slight al dente bite like pasta. I love them alongside the other juicy, creamy, and crisp textures in this salad.
- It features tomatoes 2 ways! I add half to the salad raw for juicy texture and slow-roast the rest so they become concentrated, tart, and jammy. They add so much dimension to this simple summer salad!
- You can make it ahead. This salad keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days, so it’s a great option for meal prep lunches or packing up for summer picnics.
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!
Recipe Variations
- Make it gluten-free: Use brown rice or quinoa instead of couscous.
- Make it vegan: Replace the feta with pitted and halved kalamata olives.
- Add extra crunch:Â Toss in half a diced red bell pepper, or add 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion.
- No lemon juice? Dress the salad with red wine vinegar instead.
- For a shortcut version:Â Use regular cooked chickpeas instead of roasted ones, and use 3 cups fresh cherry tomatoes instead of the mix of roasted and raw. Or replace the roasted tomatoes with 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes.
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.
Storage Tips
This couscous salad recipe keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
If you’re making it ahead for a gathering, I’d wait to add the basil and roasted chickpeas until right before serving so the basil stays vibrant and the chickpeas retain their crunch. I also like to season to taste with a little extra lemon juice and a pinch of salt after this salad chills in the fridge. It helps pep up the flavors after the couscous has soaked up some of the dressing.
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!
Couscous Salad
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
- â…“ cup crumbled feta cheese
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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Excellent recipe! Love the roasted tomatoes mixed with the fresh.
I’m so glad you loved it!
These look so incredible!! Can’t wait to make this!
As always, thank you for your amazing recipes. Big hit in our house! I roast garlic with the tomatoes versus adding fresh to the dressing to tone it down a bit. So flavorful and no feta needed. Thank you!!
Yum!! I made this tonight and the roasted tomatoes are SO worth the time and effort! Delicious and healthy. I couldn’t find Israeli couscous, so substituted orzo, which worked great! I can’t wait to make it again with actual couscous.
I’m so glad you loved it!
I followed the recipe except I pan-fried chickpeas in a cast iron skillet and left off feta (I’m vegan). It was DELICIOUS. So much flavor. Those roasted cherry tomatoes…wow! Thank you for the great recipe.
Thanks for sharing such a beautiful recipe! I added butter beans in the salad and it was delicious. 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
What a beautiful page! Cant wait to try these recipes
Absolutely love this salad . So yummy.
Hi Paulette, I’m so glad to hear!
I’ve made this every week since you posted the recipe and it’s become an absolute favorite in our home. Wonderful flavors and so satisfying but doesn’t leave you feeling heavy. Really love it the next day, as well.
We added some roasted asparagus for a little more bite and it was great.
Ooh, I’m so happy it’s become part of the rotation, I LOVE hearing that :). Mmm, asparagus sounds delicious!
I can’t eat dairy. Any substitutions for feta?
Hi Cheryl, just leave out the feta and add a little extra salt, to taste. Hope that helps!
This was absolutely delicious, even better than I thought it would be. I was concerned that the amount of dressing was small for the amount of salad, but it worked out perfectly and I didn’t end up having that situation where there is a lake of dressing at the bottom of the bowl. Thanks for a fantastic recipe.
Hi Vivian, I’m so glad you loved it! Anything with tomatoes gets a little juicy 🙂
A great recipe. I am amazed at how roasting the tomatoes in the oven brings out the sweetness in them (wow) it really adds another dimension to this salad. Next time I’ll plan ahead so that I have time to oven roast my chickpeas. Is it best to rinse the couscous after cooking it so it doesn’t clump together? That was an issue for me.
Hi Claudia, I’m so glad you loved it with the roasted tomatoes! You can rinse the couscous or, better yet, toss it with a drizzle of olive oil to keep it from sticking together. I usually find that it un-clumps once I toss it in the bowl with the dressing if I just break it apart with a spatula before adding everything else. Hope that helps!
Just a tip–I’ve had great luck growing herbs year-round with an aerogarden!
Made this last night. So delicious! I added some broiled asparagus too.
Seriously, I love every single one of your recipes.
SO SO happy to hear that!! I’m glad you loved the salad 🙂
Made this for dinner last night. I loved this recipe. The roasted chickpeas are great in it. A great way to use up an abundance of cherry tomatoes from the garden! So delicious
YUM! This looks delish!
I made this last night and we absolutely love it! Very delicious ingredients and layered flavors! The only thing I changed was the basil, which I did not have so I added chopped fresh mint. Excellent recipe.
Hi Rena, ooh, I bet mint was delicious. I’m so glad you loved it – thanks for coming back to let me know!
I made this as written and it was delicious!
Hi Claire, I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
I just made this and it is fantastic! I was searching for something light & easy to make for dinner & this was perfect! Followed the recipe exactly & turned out fantastic! I just love your blog!
Hi Kristina, I’m so glad you loved it!!
This sounds absolutely scrumptious. I am adding this to my list of vegetarian lunch dishes (I can get away with vegetarian meals better at lunch than dinner). Really looking forward to trying it.