Our Favorite Lemon Herb Couscous Salad Recipe
We love this light couscous salad — it doubles as a side, can be the main event or works well topped with grilled chicken or shrimp! With lots of texture from crisp cucumber, sweet tomatoes, crunchy nuts and raisins, this is certainly one of our favorites. You can even make it ahead of time. See the notes section below for our tips.
We love this light couscous salad — it doubles as a side, can be the main event or works well topped with grilled chicken or shrimp! With lots of texture from crisp cucumber, sweet tomatoes, crunchy nuts and raisins, this is certainly one of our favorites. You can even make it ahead of time. See the notes section below for our tips.
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 large tomato diced
- salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts toasted
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1 1/2 cups dried israeli couscous also called pearl couscous
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice depending on taste
- 1 medium english cucumber diced
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh herbs use any combination of fresh parsley, cilantro, basil, dill, or
- 1/4 cup raisins we love golden raisins
- Carbohydrate 61.7974937528822 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 9.09138876942085 g
- Fiber 0.833522677877575 g
- Protein 1.44760273449551 g
- Saturated Fat 1.07946612768139 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (104g)
- Sodium 29.2045156258211 mg
- Sugar 60.9639710750046 g
- Trans Fat 0.42161131303906 g
- Calories 323 calories
Step-by-step
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add couscous and cook until tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain.
- While the couscous cooks, in a large bowl, whisk the oil, mustard, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the drained couscous to the dressing and mix well.
- Stir in the cucumber, tomato, herbs, walnuts and raisins. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and/or pepper as needed. Enjoy warm or cover then refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour.
Extra-virgin olive oil anchors this dish, acting as both a rich coating for the pasta and a protective barrier that keeps the delicate pearls from clumping together as they cool. When making grain-based salads intended for storage, dressing the grains while they are still warm allows the interior starch to absorb the acid and oil more effectively than pouring dressing over cold pasta. Because pearl couscous is actually a toasted semolina pasta rather than a true grain, it behaves differently under refrigeration and requires specific handling to maintain its structure over multiple days.
Storage and Make-Ahead Behavior
Prepared pearl couscous salad holds remarkably well in the refrigerator for up to three days when stored in an airtight glass container. The high water content in diced cucumbers and tomatoes means that moisture will inevitably release into the salad over time, diluting the dressing if it is overly watery initially. To prevent a soggy texture, whisk the emulsified lemon and dijon base thoroughly before tossing, and toast the walnuts in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for eight minutes to dehydrate them slightly so they resist softening in the dressing.
- Drain the cooked couscous completely in a colander for at least five minutes to remove excess surface starch before mixing.
- Add fresh herbs just before serving if storing the salad beyond the 24-hour mark to prevent discoloration.
- Restore chilled leftovers to room temperature for twenty minutes prior to eating to soften the congealed olive oil.
