Craving a vibrant and flavorful salad that's ready in minutes? Get ready to discover my incredibly easy couscous salad recipe, bursting with Mediterranean-inspired goodness. It's the perfect dish for a quick lunch, light dinner, or impressive side – let's unlock the secrets!
Ingredients
You will need a handful of ingredients to throw this flavorful couscous salad together, and trust me, it's easier than trying to explain long division! I start with 1 1/4 cups of dried couscous—tiny pasta, really! Then, I grab 1 can of chickpeas, that's about 400g, and drain 'em.
Next, I chop up about 1/2 cup of fresh coriander and parsley. Oh, and don't forget 1 red onion, chopped finely! From a 220g jar of sun-dried tomatoes, I use the tomatoes *and* all that flavor-packed oil!
I toss in 120g of rocket—arugula, if you're fancy—and the zest and juice of a large lemon. Gotta have that zest! Finally, I crumble about 60g of feta on top! And sprinkle in 1 tsp of coriander powder plus 1/2 tsp coarsely black pepper. Keep salt and pepper handy for seasoning. This recipe falls into the category of simple couscous meals with its ease of preparation.
Instructions
Let's kick things off by tossing 1 1/4 cups of dried couscous, those chickpeas, 1 tsp of vegetable stock powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander, and that minced garlic into a big bowl—imagine it's a party, and they're all invited! Now, pour 1 1/4 cups of boiled water over everything; give it a little shake!
Next cover the bowl with foil or a plate for five minutes, let the couscous soak up all that goodness. While you wait, think about all the chopping you're *not* doing right now!
Now, fluff that couscous with a fork. After it cools, add coriander, parsley, that gorgeous red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, all that yummy oil, plus rocket, lemon juice, and pepper. This salad is a lighter alternative to a more traditional antipasto. Sprinkle zest over:
- Adjust salt and pepper.
- Taste it!
- Add rocket.
- Is it missing anything?
- Add lemon!
Lastly, gently mix, transfer to a serving bowl, and crumble feta on top!
Recipe Notes
Couscous are tiny grains, about the size of cracked pepper. They're made from wheat—basically, teeny pasta! Because it's so small, you just need to soak it. You can use quinoa, barley, or other grains, too—just cook them first.
If you wanna use Israeli or Pearl Couscous—those larger beads—cook 'em per the packet; they need boiling. Then, skip the soaking step and continue with the recipe!
Using stock powder or a crumbled bouillon cube really adds flavor. Stock powder's just cubes in powder form. I like vegetable, but chicken's great, too. You can use boiled broth instead of water if you'd like. Skip salt unless you have to—cumin, onion, and garlic powder add so much flavor instead!
This recipe uses the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes! If you don't have oil-packed tomatoes, just drizzle 1/3 cup of olive oil!
Nutritional Information
Okay, so let's peek at the nutrition facts – for each serving size of about 183 grams, you're looking at around 260 calories, which is 13% of your daily calorie needs. Not too shabby, right? But that's not all; let's dive deeper!
Here's a quick breakdown of what's packed inside each serving:
It has a decent amount of protein** helping to keep you full.
** We're talking sun-dried tomatoes, which are like tiny flavor bombs.
- The feta cheese adds creaminess and tang, but watch that sodium!
- Remember those chickpeas? They're full of goodness, I bet.
- Also, consider the lemon juice: vitamin C boost.
I think it's a pretty balanced meal, full of Mediterranean sunshine! Just remember, these are estimates, and your actual numbers might vary a tad – it all depends on your ingredients. Enjoy!
Short Recipe Version
Couscous Salad with Feta Cheese
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a saucepan.
- Stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.
- Fluff couscous with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add feta cheese, cucumber, red onion, and parsley.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice.
- Pour dressing over couscous salad and toss to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition Information (Per Serving – Estimated):
- Calories: 250
- Protein: 10g
- Fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 25g