Not a summer goes by without me making this incredible Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad. It’s so fresh and delicious, quick to make, AND it stays good in the fridge for days. What more could you want from a summer salad?? Plus, it’s a great dish to bring to all those summer potlucks and BBQs, too!
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What is Couscous?
Couscous is a small, ball-shaped pasta. It cooks really fast, is a fun texture, and is a great way to bulk up salads. The variety used for this Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad is a larger-sized couscous called pearl couscous, or sometimes Israeli couscous or giant couscous. If you can’t find pearl couscous, you can use regular couscous or even orzo in its place (orzo would be my first choice since it’s similar in size). Regular couscous cooks a little differently, so take a look at this couscous salad (made with regular-sized couscous) for cooking instructions and size reference.
Can I Use Bottled Lemon Juice?
Fresh lemon is key to achieving the powerfully fresh lemon flavor in this Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad, so I do not suggest substituting the fresh lemon with bottled lemon juice. The lemon zest alone is responsible for most of the lemon flavor in this salad, and, unfortunately, you just can’t get that from bottled juice.
What to Serve with Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad
This super fresh summer salad is a great side dish for anything you might cook on the grill, or you could serve it with something like Garlic Marinated Chicken, a giant Veggie Sandwich, or Mediterranean Turkey Burgers.
How Are the Leftovers?
I love this salad so much simply because it stays good in the fridge for days. The couscous sort of acts like a moisture regulator, keeping the cucumbers from getting soft or soggy and keeping the salad almost as perfect as it was on day one. So if you’re looking for something to meal prep for lunch this summer, this couscous salad is it!
And if you love cucumber salads, then you’ve got to try our Creamy Cucumber Salad recipe!
Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad
Servings 6 1 cup eachIngredients
- 1.5 cups pearl couscous ($2.20)
- 1 fresh lemon ($0.89)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1 English cucumber ($1.49)
- 1/2 cup parsley ($0.27)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper ($0.02)
- 3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled ($1.23)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the couscous and continue to boil for about 5 minutes, or until the couscous is tender. Drain the couscous in a colander or wire strainer. Rinse briefly with cool water to cool off the couscous, then allow to drain while you prepare the rest of the salad.
- Zest the lemon and then squeeze the juice. You'll need about ½ tsp of zest and 3 Tbsp of juice.
- Add the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to a bowl and stir to combine.
- Chop the cucumber into quarter-rounds and roughly chop the parsley.
- Add the cooled and drained couscous to a large bowl along with the cucumber, parsley, lemon zest, and feta. Pour the dressing over top, then stir to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad – Step by Step Photos
This is what pearl or Israeli couscous looks like. It cooks exactly like pasta. For reference, check out this couscous salad to see the size of regular couscous. You’ll need about 1.5 cups of pearl couscous for this recipe.
To cook the couscous, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, add the couscous, and then continue to boil until the couscous is tender. Since the couscous is small, it cooks very quickly (about 5 minutes). Drain the couscous and then rinse briefly with cool water to bring the temperature down.
While the couscous is cooking and cooling, prepare the rest of the salad. Start by zesting and juicing one lemon. You’ll need about 1 tsp zest and 3 Tbsp juice.
To make the lemony dressing, whisk together 3 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 tsp of garlic powder, 1/4 tsp of salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. If you’re a garlic lover, you can mince up a clove of fresh garlic instead of garlic powder. I decided that I wanted the salad to have just a hint of garlic flavor, so I added a touch of powdered garlic instead of fresh.
Roughly chop ¼ bunch parsley (about ½ cup chopped) and slice one cucumber into quarter-rounds.
Transfer the cooked and cooled couscous to a large bowl, then add the chopped parsley and cucumber, and about 3 oz. crumbled feta.
Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients in the bowl.
Stir the salad until everything is evenly mixed and coated in dressing. You can give it a taste here and adjust the salt, pepper, or any other ingredients to your liking.
And now you’re ready to eat! Or, you can chill it until it’s time for dinner. The flavors get even better as it chills and once it’s cold the salad is extra refreshing!
Seriously, this Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad is my favorite summer treat. Sometimes I add a grilled chicken breast on top and make it a meal. A dollop of hummus is also good in there!
This was a really nice, refreshing salad – and easy! Only negative is that pearl couscous takes waaaay longer to cook than 5 minutes. I hadn’t cooked pearl couscous in a while and thought the time didn’t sound right, but went to drain it at 5 minutes and it was barely cooked. So had to really adjust the cooking time on that. Otherwise, great recipe.
Recipe was a HIT!! Tasted better the next day. Added a few more seasonings (onion powder, oregano, Mrs. Dash & Green Goddess) and red onion & cherry tomatoes. Didn’t cook the couscous long enough the first time (5 minutes wasn’t nearly long enough and I never cooked it before), so it was chewy, but still good. Added some turkey parm meatballs and an arugula/red pepper salad on the side…very light and very delicious!!
How many cups of regular couscous would u use
I’m not sure without testing it, but I’d start with the same amount and see if it felt like enough. It’s pretty flexible!
Ohmigosh this is FANTASTIC! I had it with chicken. So good. Going to figure out the best way to incorporate tofu so my college kid can make it and keep it for a few days to keep eating. Also adding to my list of “dish to pass” ideas. Perfect. Thank you!!
Will this freeze well? Or will the cucumbers turn soggy?
Love this recipe and everyone I make it for wants the recipe. Note it works well with quinoa too if you need a GF version! My daughter can’t have gluten so I now make with the quinoa. :)
Thanks for the quinoa idea! I was looking for a way to up the protein!
I’ve made this so many times and it is SO good. So light yet flavorful. Perfect for summer
I made this for an office potluck and it was a hit! Simple and delicious.
I didn’t have cucumber so I subbed steamed asparagus. Amazing! Great alongside grilled chicken or salmon.
Great recipe! I added cooked salmon and broccoli to the leftovers for a great lunch the next day.
This is a salad with potential. I missed the line in the notes where it said 1/2 cup of parsley (I would suggest putting that into the recipe instead of 1/4 bunch) and my bunch was pretty big so it was a parsley overkill. However, I’ll definitely be trying it again.
Perfect salad for a picnic or backyard BBQ.
The flavor and especially the texture on this are awesome! It’s the perfect balance of everything – fresh and zesty, crunchy with a bit of bounce and chew from the couscous. And it really does hold up well in the fridge, too. (Beth, you weren’t kidding about the cucumbers staying nice and crisp – sorcery!) I’m definitely making this the next time it’s unbearably muggy out.
I wanted to make something healthy for my picky 5 year old and she LOVES this salad. She is anti-sauce for anything, but this is flavorful without being “saucy”. She did insist on adding sunflower seeds, but they work well with the salad. So happy. Thank you!
Getting a 5-year-old to eat couscous salad is a HUGE MOM WIN. Congrats!!! When Danger was 5, I couldn’t get him to eat anything without lying about it. He thought salmon was orange chicken for years. LOLOLOL!!! XOXO -Monti
This is fabulous. This will be part of my regular rotation. What a great summer salad!!
So easy and delicious! I added cashews and garbanzo beans for protein. Great summer lunch, dinner, or side.
Garbanzo beans sound like an awesome addition. I will try that next time.
This is a lovely summer side dish. I had never had pearl cous cous before and I’m officially obsessed. Amazing texture. I made with turkey burgers and it’s a delicious combo. Will absolutely make again!
This salad is delicious–like restaurant quality. So light, lemony and delicious for a muggy hot summer day. We added halved cherry tomatoes and a side of salmon. I looked forward to leftovers even as I was putting it away! Definitely going in our regular rotation.
Will this stay good for three days (cooking Thursday night, serving on Sunday)? I know you said it stays good for days.. just wondering if three days is pushing it.
Yep, I definitely still enjoy it after three days. :)
Can you use quinoa? I’m just trying to use up what I have on hand. Thanks!
Absolutely. Just cook according to package directions.
I made this recently and it is so good.
Hi! I’m enjoying the recipes.
Typo in the instructions; step 1:
“Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the couscous and continue to boil for about minutes, or until the couscous is tender.”
The number of minutes is missing.
It does say five minutes in the step-by-step
Thanks, and take care,
A
Oops! All fixed now. Thanks for letting me know! :)
Delicious salad, have already made it twice as the fam keeps asking for it
Thanks
Perfect!!!
Love this! So easy and so good! I used arugula instead of parsley :)
Does the salad still taste delicious without the feta? I recently had to start a dairy and soy free diet because my baby has MSPI.
That’s probably just going to depend on your individual preferences. :)
This looks awesome. I can’t wait to make it. How long will it keep in the frig?
Thanks, Julie
It keeps four days or so, but that can really vary depending on the conditions inside your fridge, the container used, and the freshness of ingredients. :)
DO AS SHE SAYS REGRADING CHOOSING YOUR COUS COUS! hahahaha. I used what I had, not knowing much difference– I think I have Moroccan cous cous, which seems to be a smaller pearl. DON’T try to treat it the same!
But the flavors of this dish were on point! Loved it, even with my pasta flub! Went great as a side for zucchini fritters, made for a great From The Garden dinner!
Perfect summer salad! I made it exactly as directed and it turned out delicious. Will be my new go-to for summer gatherings.
This was amazing! I used dried parsley and added avocado. Wow, I can’t believe this dressing is so simple but tastes so good!
this looks delish! ant recommendations to make it gluten-free? could I use quinoa?
I’ve made it a few times with quinoa and had good success! Enjoy!
This has become my go-to potluck offering, and it’s always very popular! Thank you so much for sharing it!
It’s a great one to share!
So good! Added in about a cup and a half of homecooked chickpeas and some sliced cherry tomatoes. Love how much cucumber there is; along with the lemon it’s super crunchy and refreshing.
Yum! Glad you enjoy it Anna!
Made this up for a fresh lunch on the boat this weekend. Will travel perfectly . Just throwing some cold grilled chicken on top for a complete meal.
Can you use some other cheese besides feta?
Goat cheese or Cotija would probably also be good.
If you want something really mild with a fairly similar texture, you could also try queso fresco (I get mine at Aldi, but I’m sure it’s stocked in lots of places).
Made this with 1 1/2 cups of orzo (couldn’t find Israeli couscous), twice the feta, and a little more lemon zest/juice, and loved it!!
OMG. So good! I tweaked this a bit to bulk it out for a full week’s worth of meal prep lunches. I stirred in a bag of chopped spinach for an extra dose of veggies and I doubled the feta and the dressing. I also served with a dollop of hummus on top, per your suggestion in the post. Such a perfect cold lunch for the summertime! Can’t recommend this recipe enough.
@budgetbytes, do you think Italian Farro (spelt) would work well in this recipe? Thank you!
It might taste a bit strong for this dish, but it probably wouldn’t be terrible. :) I like the couscous because it absorbs the vinaigrette and flavor really easily, too. Farro probably won’t be quite as absorbent.
I ended up using orzo… followed your recipe exactly and it was delicious, a huge hit!
I love this recipe. I like to add a little bit more pepper and lemon. Just a word of warning: I made the mistake of substituting the couscous for quinoa and it was a disaster, it tasted awful, so I highly recommend sticking with the couscous. I did make it with whole wheat couscous as well and that I really enjoyed!!
We love this recipe at our house! Instead of parsley (we’re not huge parsely fans here), I used dill and I did add some halved grape tomatoes to the mix as well for a more Greek/Mediterranean flavor mix that matched what we were eating this with. It made plenty of leftovers as there are just two of us, which is perfect because I can have it for lunch at work! Thank you for another wonderful recipe :)
Made this salad this weekend, with a few tweaks – added some halved grape tomatoes for more veggies, used the full lemon’s worth of juice and zest, used a full 6 oz container of feta, and dried instead of fresh parsley. It was SO good! Such a perfect summer side dish.
This is the perfect summer salad, and we’ve made it every weekend this summer! We usually double the batch, and it’s still never enough for how much we all love eating it. Can’t recommend this recipe enough!
Love the flavors! Made with regular couscous and it seems a little dry. Add more olive oil? More lemon juice might be too much.
Yes, you could either just increase the oil, or try increasing the dressing in total.
I always make this with orzo instead of couscous, still tastes amazing!
Excellent recipe! Very light and refreshing and it had the perfect amount of lemon. The only thing that I did differently was use fresh dill weed instead of parsley and that’s only because I didn’t have any parsley. Next time I will probably use both herbs. Thanks for the great recipe I will definitely be making this often.
Can you use lime instead of lemon?
I think the flavor of lemon is better suited for this one.
HI!
Do you think I could do this with riced cauliflower instead of couscous? Maybe saute it with garlic first and let it cool?
I LOVE this recipe. I”m on weight watchers and trying to come up with lower point alternatives to my favs.
Thanks!
You could probably do that, although the salad might not hold up as well in the fridge as it would with a grain. Vegetables, like cauliflower, tend to seep moisture as they’re refrigerated, whereas grains tend to absorb moisture.
Can this be made the night before and still be delicious the next day?
Yes, I love leftovers of this salad.
Hi, looks awesome! I want to know whether cooked zucchini can be used instead the cucumber , any idea please?
No, unfortunately the fresh flavor of the cucumber is really integral to the flavor balance of the is recipe. I wouldn’t suggest replacing it.
Is it possible to substitute fresh garlic instead of the garlic powder?
Yes, it will definitely have more of that sharp raw garlic bite to it, but it will be tasty. I’d use a smaller clove of garlic, too. Just mince it up and add it to the dressing.
Made this tonight with blackened fish and grilled asparagus. Realized too late that I didn’t have any lemons. It was still delicious. I’m planning to add roast chicken and the lemon juice to it tomorrow for lunch:)
No couscous or parsley or feta around my local shops, so I did cooked red rice, dried dill (friend brought me from out of country) and plain yogurt as substitutes. Its still amazing!
This is so delicious!! Where do you find Israeli couscous so cheap? It is very expensive where I shop.
I think I got that couscous at Whole Foods in the bulk bins… and it was on sale if I remember correctly. :)
You can buy it online in bulk for relatively cheap. I get mine at Harris Teeter and it is about $2.50 a box because it is “international.” I buy the famous Israel brand, forget the name. If you buy just non-fancy pearl couscous it will be cheaper.
I will be added red onion and chunked chicken to mine. Any combo of feta, cucumbers, and lemon is for me.
This is soo good I actually added grilled chicken and extra lemon juice
Is it possible that I can use regular couscous if I’m unable to find Isareli couscous? Thanks, Beth!!
Yep, just cook it according to the package directions.
You can find Israeli cous cous at Trader Joe’s if you have one near you!
I made this tonight as a side dish of spicy chicken kebabs. It was an absolute hit. I used sheep milk feta for a creamier effect when mixed in. I also added a bit of red onion. I will definitely make this again!
Made this today! Only had regular couscous on hand, so made it (in chicken broth). I upped the garlic powder a bit and squeezed the whole lemon in. So yummy. Husband says “add to the keeper list!”
Thanks for the tasty recipe!
I’ve made this twice now, and I LOVE IT! So has everyone I’ve recommended it to. Next time I’m going to try it with chick peas so that I can take it to work as a full meal.
Very refreshing in this weather that’s slowly warming up.
Yum!!! Second time in a week making this. It’s so quick and the ingredients are easy to have on hand. For my one extremely lactose-intolerant partner, I threw in some kalamata olives I had laying around instead of the feta for a those tart-salty bites, and a bit of dill because… well, I put a bit of dill in nearly everything. Highly recommended if you need a vegan/dairy free option!! I’m eating it right now with my other partner who can have cheese with olives AND feta. It’s pretty decadent :)
I can’t make this recipe anymore because I literally eat the entire batch in one sitting…..
Thanks for another awesome recipe, Beth! I made this for the first time tonight and enjoyed it so much. I left out the parsley as I’m not a fan, but it was still really flavourful, and very easy to put together. Two thumbs way up.
Is there another cheese you could recommend? I am pregnant and cannot have soft cheeses like feta. I would LOVE to make this, but can’t think of a good substitute. Thanks!
Hmm, the flavors in this one definitely lend themselves to the light flavors of soft cheese. Honestly, I think I’d just skip the cheese and it will still be a fantastically flavorful salad. :)
Maybe sprinkle some grated Romano?
It’s been a few months so maybe you are no longer barred from soft cheeses, but I was feeding someone who can’t really have any cheese and used some tangy greek olives instead. We were pretty pleased with the result.
Just made this–so great. Took it up a notch to make it a little more Greek and added cherry tomatoes, chopped fresh mint, arugala, chopped fresh oregano, and grilled chicken pieces to have it as a lunch salad for the week. Incredible! The hits of salt from the feta really make this salad, and if you can swing it, buy block feta rather than feta crumbles and just slice off a piece to put on top. So much creamier and stronger flavor!
Would this recipe use extra virgin olive oil or regular olive oil? I know using extra virgin would change the taste. Thanks :)
I used extra virgin. :)
I made this with quinoa instead of couscous and it was YUMMY! We had it on the side of yogurt chicken (also your recipe) and it was a perfect summer meal.
I’ve been following your blog for years. Thanks for all your recipes that have become our favorites!
I’ve cooked a bunch of your recipes, all have been great. Very helpful. Just wanted to say thanks – I don’t naturally cook healthy food and you do a good job of having a number of easy, cheap healthy recipes. This was very good too. On the colander issue: I recommend a rice colander for situations like this. I cook mostly brown rice, so I use it to rinse that prior to cooking, and your rice comes out a bit less muddled. They’re not expensive – you can buy one off amazon for less than $5 below:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002641GCY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I made this for my wife on Monday night and it was excellent. I added fresh chopped cilantro and it was really delicious and filling. It’s going to be a weekly side dish to our meal. Thanks again for another great recipe.
BTW…I made the no knead pizza recipe Sunday night and last night the nacho baked potatoes. You can say i’m addicted to this site and my wife loves that. :>)
I’ve made this a couple times already and love it! I’m going to try using cilantro instead of parsley for a little extra kick tonight!
WOW yumminess! I added spinach to mine just to get the greens in. Definitely a keeper! Thanks much :)
Made this tonight, used regular cous cous instead of Israeli as that’s all my grocery store had. I found it a little bland, not much lemon flavor at all. Maybe the smaller cous cous sucked up the dressing faster than larger pieces. If I make it again, I’ll double the dressing.
Does anyone know how many calories in a cup of this?
YUM!! Trying this tonight with quinoa instead since my dumb grocery store didn’t have couscous and I was too lazy to go to a second one. grr.
And since nobody is answering… the song is from Outkast!! haha :) Love it!
xox
This is the perfect lunch! So refreshing, so simple, so satisfying. Thank you thank you.
I’ve now made this recipe some dozen times (at least!), and it’s one of the few that I never deviate from. It’s perfect, my husband asks for it every second week, and I have yet to meet anyone that didn’t love it.
And now that we have cucumbers growing in our garden, it’s even easier to make!
Oh wow, this is so good! It’s been hot here lately and this was the perfect cool side to accompany the Greek chicken dish (which was also outstanding).
This recipe is absolutely fantastic! I discovered it while googling for recipes involving both Israeli pearl couscous and feta cheese, since I was trying to use up those ingredients that I already had, and I’m so very glad I found the recipe for this wonderful dish! We didn’t end up with as much parsley as we supposed to have, but even so, it was great, especially with a little extra zing from using a Trader Joe’s lemon pepper grinder as well as plain salt and fresh-ground pepper. Yum! It was so good we ate the leftovers 10 hours after we ate the meal for the first time.
Had this tonight with the Greek marinated chicken, and my husband (of Greek and Italian ancestry) and I both loved it. I substituted dill for the parsley which worked very nicely. I might try it with orzo instead of the couscous, which I just happened to have on hand. I read in another cookbook that toasting the orzo in butter until golden before cooking it gives it a richer taste. How could that not be good?
Oh my goodness, since I found this recipe I’ve probably made it at least four times. It’s so wonderful and refreshing. The last time I did it with whole wheat pearled couscous which I toasted in the pan with a little olive oil and minced garlic before cooking it. I also tossed in some diced red onion, tomato, and I substituted cilantro from the parsley. It was amazing! What a wonderful recipe, Beth.
I just made this the other day and it was delicious! I used herbed goat cheese, and that made it creamy. After a couple of days, the lemony-ness of the dressing faded a little, and it got a little bit dry in the fridge, so I put about a tablespoon of balsamic dressing on it and it was just as delicious!
Yum! I did this with regular couscous that I cooked in a veggie stock! I actually totally fudged up the dressing because I wasn’t reading the directions and just threw everything together once the couscous was done instead of mixing the dressing first! Oh well, it still turned out really tasty!
Hi Beth! Love Love Love this couscous – I am obsessed.
Can this go in the freezer?
Hmm, I’m not sure. I haven’t tried freezing a dish like this. Pasta usually freezes pretty good, although it can sometimes be a bit dry upon reheating.
This looks great! We’re going to have it with your Greek chicken for supper this week.
As a side note, I’m having issues using the “Pin It” button on your recipes. When I click it, it comes up with a blank picture. Maybe it’s just me, though…
Hi, this recipe looks great. I’m wondering if you can substitute the couscous with quinoa?
Yes, I think that would be tasty!
1st timer to your site…i love it!!! Anyone tried it with goat cheese? Hubby doesn’t really like feta…
Yum, I bet that would be good!
How long does this keep? Do you recommend not mixing it all until you are going to serve it?
About 4-5 days. It’s definitely prettiest right after it’s mixed, but the flavors get very nice after refrigerating for a while, so it’s up to you! :)
my husband’s comment was that ‘these balls taste good.’ for reals.
Hahahahahaah I love it :)
I made this for dinner last night but I made one (kinda big) substitution. I used quinoa and it was amazing! It made a great lunch today as well!
I made this for myself for dinner tonight. I skipped the feta since I can’t have cheese and since I didn’t have parsley, I used chopped cilantro. I really liked it. I’m going to try some of those other suggestions posted in the comments.
I found this on Pinterest and made it for the first time today. I’m not a fan of parsley so I used fresh dill instead and wow, it’s yum! I’ll definitely be making this again.
I made this twice in two weeks! The first time I followed the original recipe and the second I used whole wheat Israeli couscous and cilantro instead of parsley – it is delicious both ways!
I made this with fresh dill instead of parsley and added some canned salmon for protein. It was awesome!
Made this tonight using farro instead of couscous because that was all I had. Fantastic! Thank you :-)
This is a great recipe for me because I’ve had a ginormous box of couscous in my cupboard for months and every time I try to use it up I end up making boring, tasteless, almost plain couscous with some chicken broth. This will be so much better. Thanks!
Yummy! And so refreshing. At the last minute I decided to add some black beans for protein and man am I enjoying this for lunch today. This seems like it would go well with so many things on top of it, in it or on the side. I’m envisioning some shrimp or grilled chicken…
I also liked it better slightly warmed, so I popped it in the microwave for about a minute. Perfect.
I made this for a party this past weekend. It was great! However, I found the parsley to be a bit too much…maybe I’m just not a fan and haven’t realized it until now! I got rave reviews from others. I think I enjoyed it more at room temperature/slightly warm than chilled.
I just made this with pearl barley instead of couscous to up the nutritional value. It’s amazing! So light and refreashing, but satisfying with the chewy barley!
I just made this to take to a 4th of July BBQ, with some slight variations: I added a splash of balsamic vinegar, some dried dill (would have preferred fresh, but none on hand,) a couple cloves of fresh garlic, a sprinkle of greek herb seasoning (by Opa! seasoning mixes) and amped up the feta a bit because I LOVE feta. It turned out amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
I had this for dinner tonight. It was really great chilled! Perfect summer salad.
I made this last night and it was tasty and refreshing! I’ll definitely bring it as a side to some potlucks this summer. Thanks for sharing!
Made this last night, but had to use orzo as I don’t care for regular couscous and was unable to find the Israeli version. I used 1 cup uncooked orzo, 1 cucumber and 4 oz pre-crumbled feta and kept the EVOO, lemon, garlic, parsley and salt as written. Very yummy and very versatile. I just ate it again for breakfast! Thank you!
Made this the other night. Hubby really liked it, but we both think this dish would be better with cilantro or mint rather than parsley. I think it’ll brighten it up and bring it another layer of freshness.
Great idea! Cilantro and cucumber are wonderful together :)
I made this tonight with coriander/cilantro because I had some growing and it was super tasty.
This absolutely AMAZING! I’m eating it over a bed of romaine with a bit of salmon on top, and it is to die for!
Delicious! I have a feeling I’ll be making this every week this summer and bringing it to every potluck picnic! Oh, and I added a can of garbanzos for protein and it works perfectly.
I didn’t have as much couscous as this called for, so I bulked it up with some lentils and red onions, and for lunch I’m having this with some of the greek marinated chicken on top. A really great refreshing and with a tweak really filling!
Thanks Beth! You rock! Your recipes are fantastic!!!!
Hi Beth!
This may be a silly question, is it 1/2-2 cups couscous dry or cooked? I’m thinking of making this for a potluck tomorrow. :-). Thanks!
Sorry, that was supposed to be 1.5-2 cups dry/uncooked :)
This recipe looks delicious – very light and refreshing for the warm months ahead! Israeli couscous is one of my very favorite starches. I can’t wait to try this!
Yum! I make something close-ish. I chop up tomatoes, cucumbers and green chilies, toss it in with warm coucous, spritz lemon juice and a pinch of salt on top! Love tossing in some baked chicken and there’s lunch or dinner, one of my faves for summer!
I’m always using those peppercorn grinders on my food! This salad looks delicious.
Well, I’m definitely going to have to make some of this! I actually find my Israeli couscous at our local Persian market. I only wish it were in more bulk bins!
This looks lovely, but I may try it out with quinoa instead (no wheat for me…). Thanks so much for the recipe!
Outcast! That song went through my head too! The salad looks awesome, I’m gonna try it for dinner tomorrow!
I had a box of couscous I was waiting to use, this seems like the perfect opportunity!
Long time lurker. This looks so good! Can’t wait to try.
Outkast! So fresh and so clean and so clean clean!
Aaaa~h, the awesome World Market bowl again.
I was combing my brain and trying to think of what the Israeli couscous looked like, then I realized: it looks exactly like the filling from a bean bag chair. Willing to bet it tastes a bit better, though. -:P I love salads that you can make ahead of time and chuck into the fridge to chill. Dat flavor blending; love it. -:)
Hahahahha, yes, it does look like bean bag chair filling!
Oooh, that does look good. I have not had much experience with couscous save for a french friend bringing it over for potluck one day but I will try this! Pinning!
This salad is my kind of salad! Perfect for summer! :)