• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Vidhya’s Vegetarian Kitchen logo
  • Home
  • About
    • VVK YouTube Channel
    • Privacy & Copyright Policies
  • Recipes
  • Shop
    • Meal Planner
    • Cookbooks
    • Amazon Shop
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Salads » Couscous Salad | Mediterranean Style Couscous Salad

    Couscous Salad | Mediterranean Style Couscous Salad

    Posted on March 5, 2019 · Last Updated on September 19, 2024 · By Srividhya G · 23 Comments

    461 shares
    • Share45
    • Tweet
    • Reddit
    Jump to Recipe Card

    Salads are delicious when you add colors to them. Here is one such colorful, crunchy, and filling salad made with pearl couscous / Israeli couscous, mixed veggies, fresh herbs, and lemon vinaigrette.

    mediterranean couscous salad with lemon wedge and salt on the sideRecently, I started having five small meals instead of three. And I love salads around 10:30 to 11:00 AM, and it helps to reduce my carbs intake during lunch. During January, I posted three bean-based salad recipes under the elevenses theme that love to eat as my mid-morning snack.  Today, I share a grain-based salad, and this is an excellent option for both lunch and elevenses. The grain that I used is the pearl couscous.

    Pearl Couscous and Substitutes:

    Couscous is ground pasta made from semolina. When we say couscous, it refers to the small variety, but for this salad, I used the pearl variety (the granules are little larger) which is popularly known by other names like Israeli couscous, Ptitim (in Hebrew), Jerusalem couscous. You can read the difference between the couscous varieties here.

    I love both the type, but for salad and pulavs, I prefer the pearl variety. But you can use any small pasta like orzo or small macaroni shells for this salad. You can make it more healthy by replacing couscous with millets or quinoa.couscous salad close look in a separate bowl

    How to Cook Couscous in Instant Pot?

    You can cook couscous in your preferred way either on the stovetop or in the microwave. But I find Instant Pot method easy and I cook my couscous over the weekend, cool it down and store it in the fridge. For ½ cup of couscous, I used ½ cup of water + 2 tbsps. I pressure cook it for 3 minutes and release the pressure quickly after 5 minutes for a soft and tender couscous.

    Lemon Vinaigrette:

    Even though I love balsamic vinaigrette, when it comes to grain-based salads, I prefer lemon vinaigrette. I use an equal amount of olive oil and lemon juice for my lemon vinaigrette. Also, I make it fresh when required. I have used lemon zest also in this recipe as it adds that fresh flavor to the salad.

    When it comes to salad, you can adjust the ingredients according to your preference. The same goes for the veggies included as well. I know cherry tomatoes would have added a flavor to this salad but I skipped it. Be creative with your salads and build your unique flavor profile.

    couscous salad before assembling

    Now without further ado, here is how I made the Mediterranean style couscous salad,

    Ingredients:

    • ½ cup pearl couscous
    • ½ cup + 2 tbsps water to cook the couscous
    • 1 cup water for the inner pot
    • For the Vinaigrette:
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • ¾ tsp freshly grated pepper
    • 1 tsp salt
    • For the Salad:
    • ¼ cup diced onion
    • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
    • ¼ cup diced cucumber
    • ¼ diced red bell pepper
    • 2 tbsp fresh mint chopped
    • ¼ diced black olives
    • 2 tsp lemon zest

    Steps:

    Cook the couscous:

    • Rinse and drain the couscous and add it a pan/pot that fits inside the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Add the water.
    • Now add 1 cup of water to the inner pot and place the trivet. Then put the couscous bowl with water on top of the trivet.

    PIP couscous in Instant Pot

    • Close the lid and ensure the vent is in the sealing position.
    • Cook for 3 minutes at high pressure and release the pressure quickly after 5 minutes.

    cooked couscous

    • Allow it cool thoroughly before adding it to the salad.

    Assembling the Salad:

    • Add the veggies(onion, cucumber, olives, red bell pepper), fresh herbs, lemon zest, and the couscous and mix.
    • Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper just before serving. Mix thoroughly and serve.

    couscous salad after mixing

    Recipe Notes-

    • Instead of couscous, you can use millets, quinoa, bulgur wheat or any other grain of your choice.
    • Adjust the salt and pepper according to your preference.
    • Depending upon the sourness of the lemon juice, adjust the quantity. If required, add a tsp of sugar to balance the flavor.

    PS:  If you try this couscous salad, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. Also, please check out my videos and do subscribe to my YouTube channel. 

    📖 Recipe

    couscous salad close look
    Pin Recipe Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Couscous Salad | Mediterranean Style Couscous Salad

    A colorful, crunchy, and filling Mediterranean style salad made with pearl couscous / Israeli couscous, mixed veggies, fresh herbs, and lemon vinaigrette.
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Cook Time5 minutes mins
    Total Time25 minutes mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Mediterranean
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 94kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup pearl couscous
    • 1 cup water for the inner pot

    For the Vinaigrette:

    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • ¾ tsp freshly grated pepper
    • 1 tsp salt

    For the Salad:

    • ¼ cup onion diced
    • ¼ cup cucumber diced
    • ¼ red bell pepper diced
    • ¼ black olives diced
    • 2 tbsps fresh cilantro chopped
    • 2 tbsps fresh mint chopped
    • 2 tsp lemon zest

    Instructions

    Cook the couscous:

    • Rinse and drain the couscous and add it a pan/pot that fits inside the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Add the water.
    • Now add 1 cup of water to the inner pot and place the trivet. Then put the couscous bowl with water on top of the trivet.
    • Close the lid and ensure the vent is in the sealing position.
    • Cook for 3 minutes at high pressure and release the pressure quickly after 5 minutes.
    • Allow it cool thoroughly before adding it to the salad.

    Assembling the Salad:

    • Add the veggies(onion, cucumber, olives, red bell pepper), fresh herbs, lemon zest, and the couscous and mix.
    • Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper just before serving. Mix thoroughly and serve.

    Notes

    • Instead of couscous, you can use millets, quinoa, bulgur wheat or any other grain of your choice.
    • Adjust the salt and pepper according to your preference.
    • Depending upon the sourness of the lemon juice, adjust the quantity. If required, add a tsp of sugar to balance the flavor.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 623mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.4mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
    For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel

     

    461 shares
    • Share45
    • Tweet
    • Reddit

    Filed Under: Salads Tagged With: couscous salad, couscous salad with lemon vinaigrette, how to cook pearl couscous in instant pot, Mediterranean style couscous salad

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Swati says

      March 21, 2019 at 10:35 pm

      I have recently started using couscous and like this healthy option in my soups and salad.. Your salad bowl is a healthy and filling option.. looks so tempting!!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 22, 2019 at 7:17 am

        Thanks Swati.

        Reply
    2. Sushma says

      March 13, 2019 at 12:58 pm

      Am coming across couscous a lot these days. I have to give it a try. How does it taste ? Your dish looks amazing, will try ur recipe

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 14, 2019 at 10:09 am

        It tastes more like Pasta shushma.. Give it a try, I am sure you will like it.

        Reply
    3. Pavani says

      March 13, 2019 at 12:27 am

      5 stars
      Very colourful salad bowl. Never tried couscous, after seeing this healthy and delicious salad, want to give a try.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 13, 2019 at 9:58 am

        Thanks, Pavani. Please do try and let me know how you liked it.

        Reply
    4. Gayathri Kumar says

      March 10, 2019 at 9:19 pm

      Such a colourful salad. Those pearl cous cous adds so much beauty to it. And I am sure it is super filling too.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 10, 2019 at 9:30 pm

        Thanks Gayathri.

        Reply
    5. preeti garg says

      March 10, 2019 at 11:00 am

      This salad recipe is perfect for summer… super healthy and tasty. love it.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 10, 2019 at 9:17 pm

        Thanks :-)

        Reply
    6. preeti garg says

      March 10, 2019 at 10:59 am

      This salad recipe is perfect for summer… super healthy and tasty.

      Reply
    7. Vaishali Sabnani says

      March 10, 2019 at 7:11 am

      Lovely salad , bookmarking as I have a pack of these couscous pearls and have been looking for something like this.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 10, 2019 at 9:18 pm

        Thanks Vaishali. Please do try and I am sure you will love it.

        Reply
    8. Sharmila Kingsly says

      March 09, 2019 at 12:34 am

      Though i have read a lot ,have never tried using couscous in my food.. but now im super tempted to try..Looks awesome..

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 09, 2019 at 6:59 pm

        Thanks, Sharmila. Try this pearl one, you will like it.

        Reply
        • Narmadha says

          March 11, 2019 at 7:36 pm

          5 stars
          Very colorful salad. Very healthy and nutritious too. We can do lot of variations.

          Reply
          • Srividhya G says

            March 12, 2019 at 11:23 am

            Thanks Narmadha.

            Reply
    9. harini says

      March 08, 2019 at 3:59 pm

      OMG! such a cute looking salad, Srividhya. I need to get those pearls for sure. Love the dressing as well.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 09, 2019 at 7:06 pm

        Thanks much, Harini.

        Reply
    10. Varada says

      March 07, 2019 at 5:01 pm

      This would make a great weekday lunch! Very colorful and nutritious. Good one.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 07, 2019 at 9:11 pm

        Thanks :-)

        Reply
    11. Srivalli Jetti says

      March 05, 2019 at 6:04 pm

      That salad looks out of the world Srividya, must have made a filling meal.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 06, 2019 at 7:52 am

        Oh yeah. :-) These days I prefer these grain-based salads. :-)

        Reply
    5 from 2 votes

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome

    Author Vidhya smiling in the renovated kitchen

    Hello all, I am Srividhya, the person behind this blog. I firmly believe that the mouth is the way to the heart. My blog is all about vegetarian and vegan food with unique and exciting recipes from all over the world. From traditional, authentic recipes to fusion and eggless bakes, you can find it all here! Read more →

    Enjoy My Cookbooks

    Two cookbooks beautifully presented on the table

    Discover the diverse and delicious taste of South India, eggless recipes made in Instant Pot and other deliciousness! Find out more →

    Sign Up to Newsletter

    As Featured On

    As seen on logo banner

    YouTube

    Follow me on YouTube for regular recipe videos and insights from my kitchen!

    Follow

    Disclosure

    VVK is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program - an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate VVK earns from qualifying purchases. Privacy Policy →

    Footer


    VVK is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program - Privacy Policy
    HOME | ABOUT | CONTACT US

    Footer

    ↑ Back to Top

    VVK horizontal logo

    About

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    Cooking

    • Sign Up to Newsletter
    • All Recipes
    • Cookbooks
    • Meal Planner
    • Amazon Shop

    VVK is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program

    Copyright © 2025 | VidhyasHomeCooking.com

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.