SIGN UP FOR MY FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER AND NEVER MISS ANOTHER DELICIOUS FAMILY-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Real Life Dinner

Recipes your real life family will love!

  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • Apraxia
  • Family
  • Ebooks
  • About
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google Plus
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • RSS

June 13, 2015 3 Comments

Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Mediterranean-cous-cous-salad-recipe-with-chicken
Mediterranean Couscous Salad Recipe

Wow! This salad is the best thing that’s ever happened to couscous. I may or may not have only cooked with couscous one other time in my life…..

This salad has opened up a whole new world to me.

My friend Hayriye made this salad for a party and lets just say people (including me) were begging her for the recipe after tasting it.

The flavors in this salad are incredible. It’s an explosion of  fresh awesomeness with each bite.

One thing that gives it so much flavor is that you squeeze fresh lemon juice into the chicken broth that you cook the couscous in. The fresh lemon juice adds a bright zing-y-ness that really puts this salad over the top.

Mediterranean-cous-cous-salad-recipe-with-chicken

Hayriye’s recipe calls for Mediterranean Curry flavored Couscous. The first store I went to didn’t carry it so I opted to get the pine-nut variety. Using the pine-nut one made it so I didn’t need to purchase pine nuts (which can be a bit pricey)….however, I did have to add tumeric to give the couscous that nice yellow color.

The pine-nut cous cous in place of the Mediterranean curry variety turns works well in a pinch, but if you can find the Mediterranean Curry couscous, get it. It’s extra awesome!

An ingredient you don’t see me use often is roasted red peppers. In fact this is the first time I have ever purchased them…they are important in this recipe. Fresh parsley is also important in this dish. Don’t skip on any of the ingredients in this recipe.

Mediterranean-cous-cous-salad-recipe-with-chickenI am seriously in love with this salad. It’s the perfect side dish for summer fun picnics and bbq’s. Also, it can be a meal all by itself if you add chicken, which is what I have been doing.

Give this a couscous recipe a try. If your taste buds are anything like mine, after one little taste, you’ll be looking for any and every excuse to make it again and again.

Mediterranean Couscous Salad
 
Print
Prep time
25 mins
Cook time
10 mins
Total time
35 mins
 
Incredible flavors come together in this perfect salad. If you have a hard time finding the Mediterranean Curry Couscous, use the Pine Nut variety. Also, adding Chicken in the salad makes this a great summertime lunch or dinner.
Author: Slightly adapted from my Friend Hayryie's Recipe.
Recipe type: Side Dish or Main Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 2 Boxes Near East (Mediterranean Curry) flavor couscous. If you use the pine-nut variety add 1 tsp turmeric to the chicken broth when cooking the couscous
  • 2⅔ Chicken broth. (I use water and chicken bullion)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic (finely minced)
  • 2 ts curry
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ⅛ tsp black pepper
  • Red pepper flakes to taste, I use about ¼-1/2 tsp
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 1 handful fresh parsley, minced
  • 3 Green onions, finely sliced
  • 1 Bell Pepper (red, orange or yellow)
  • ⅓ cup roasted red peppers (in a jar) chopped
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ½ cup toasted pine nuts (if you use the pine nut cous cous, you don't have to add these)
  • ½ cup carrot, very finely minced or chopped, optional
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast, optional
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan or medium pot. Saute onions until translucent, then add garlic and curry.
  2. After garlic becomes fragrant (few seconds), add chicken broth, salt, fresh lemon juice, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Bring to boil and add couscous. Turn off heat and cover it until couscous becomes soft. (about 5-8 minutes)
  3. While you let couscous cool, heat 2 TB, olive oil in a small saute pan and roast the pine nuts until golden. Set aside.
  4. Combine bell pepper, roasted red pepper, parsley, green onions, carrots, raisins and pine-nuts In a large bowl.
  5. Fluff couscous with a fork and add it to your vegetable and herb mixture. Add shredded chicken at this point if desired.
  6. Mix everything together and chill in the refrigerator.
3.2.2929

Summer salads are the BEST! Check out this Cantaloupe Salad on my friend Jenna’s blog. She is a registered dietician and shares delicious and healthy recipes.

Enjoy!

Keep it Real!!!

Maria

Chicken/Poultry, Family Favorite Recipes, Salads/Dressings, Thirty Minute Recipes{Dinners}, Uncategorized, Veggies/Sides
Chicken, Cous Cous, Mediterranean Recipes, Pot luck Pleaser, Summer Cooking
3 Comments

Like it? Share it!

Yum

Subscribe and never miss another recipe!

Sign up above and receive delicious family-friendly recipes directly in your email inbox!

3 Comments

  1. Courtney

    June 10, 2017 at 8:16 pm

    If I were to try making this with plain, unseasoned couscous, what would I need to change?

    reply to this comment
    • Courtney

      June 10, 2017 at 8:17 pm

      And what is the proper quantity of couscous to measure out?

      reply to this comment
    • Maria

      June 13, 2017 at 7:40 pm

      The flavor will be different because the plain cous cous won’t have the same seasonings. You could try adding extra curry, garlic and a few other seasonings.

      reply to this comment

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

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

Rate this recipe:  

Welcome friends!

Hi, I'm Maria. A mom of five and a total foodie. My superpower is taking ordinary recipes and making them DELICIOUS. Your family will LOVE these meals! Come cook with me, I promise it will be amazing! Get started here or search my archives below.


When you start your Amazon shopping here, I receive a small percentage of the sale. Thank you for supporting Real Life Dinner.

Don’t Miss These

Back
to Top
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • Apraxia
  • Family
  • Ebooks
  • About
  • Contact

Copyright © 2019 Real Life Dinner  •  All Rights Reserved  •  Privacy Policy  •  Site Design by Emily White Designs