Wow! This Mediterranean Couscous Salad Recipe 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…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.
This Mediterranean Couscous Salad Recipe has opened up a whole new world to me.
My friend, Hayriye, made this salad for a party, and let’s just say, people (including me) were begging her for the recipe after tasting it.
Indian Inspired Recipes
- Green Curry with Chicken and Potatoes
- Baked Honey Curry Chicken with Green Beans
- Basmati Rice with Turmeric and Peas
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- How to make Naan Bread
- Chicken Curry and Rice Soup
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 the freshly squeezed lemon juice that you add to 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.
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 turmeric to give the couscous that nice yellow color.
The pine-nut couscous in place of the Mediterranean curry variety 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.
HOW TO MAKE MEDITERRANEAN COUSCOUS SALAD
- Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan or medium pot. Saute onions until translucent, and then add garlic and curry powder.
- After garlic becomes fragrant (a few seconds), add chicken broth, salt, fresh lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Bring to boil and add couscous. Turn off the heat and cover it until the couscous becomes soft (about 5-8 minutes).
- While you let couscous cool, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a small saute pan and roast the pine nuts until golden. Set aside.
- Combine bell pepper, roasted red peppers, parsley, green onions, carrots, raisins, and pine nuts in a large bowl. Mix well.
- Fluff couscous with a fork and add it to your vegetable and herb mixture. Add shredded cooked chicken at this point if desired.
- Mix everything together and chill in the refrigerator.
- Enjoy!
I am seriously in love with this salad. It’s the perfect side dish for summer fun picnics and BBQs. 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.
Tips for making Mediterranean Couscous Salad
- If using the pine-nut variety couscous, add 1 tsp turmeric to the chicken broth when cooking the couscous and omit the 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts.
- In place of the chicken broth, you can use chicken bullion and water.
- The roasted red peppers and fresh parsley are important in this dish. For best results, don’t skip on any of the ingredients in this recipe.
More Summer Salads
- 2 boxes Near East Mediterranean Curry Couscous (See Tips if using pine-nut variety.)
- 2⅔ cup chicken broth
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 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 (omit if using the pine nut couscous)
- ½ cup carrot, very finely minced or chopped, optional
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast, optional
- Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan or medium pot. Saute onions until translucent, and then add garlic and curry powder.
- After garlic becomes fragrant (a few seconds), add chicken broth, salt, fresh lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Bring to boil and add couscous. Turn off the heat and cover it until the couscous becomes soft (about 5-8 minutes).
- While you let couscous cool, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a small saute pan and roast the pine nuts until golden. Set aside.
- Combine bell pepper, roasted red peppers, parsley, green onions, carrots, raisins, and pine nuts in a large bowl. Mix well.
- Fluff couscous with a fork and add it to your vegetable and herb mixture. Add the shredded cooked chicken at this point if desired.
- Mix everything together and chill in the refrigerator.
- Enjoy!
Try these Skillet Dinners
If I were to try making this with plain, unseasoned couscous, what would I need to change?
And what is the proper quantity of couscous to measure out?
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.