Easy Couscous Salad Recipe

Couscous salad is one of the most flavorful and filling salads you could make, even though it's meat-free. It's the perfect option for vegetarians or anyone who is trying to eat on the lighter-side. This salad is loaded with couscous, roasted vegetables, and an excellent dressing that makes it super fresh and flavorful. Recipe developer Ting Dalton came up with this tasty recipe perfect for pretty much any occasion.

"This is a delicious couscous salad full of zingy, fresh flavors with a lovely hit of tangy saltiness and sweet tomatoes. It's such a great lunch option and is happily eaten it on its own," Dalton says. "But it also works as a fantastic side dish for fish or meat including roasted chicken." There is a lot to like about this dish, but Dalton especially loves "the summery flavors" and the "ease of which it comes together." If you're looking for a refreshing salad that works well as both a side and main dish, give this couscous salad a try!

There are quite a few ingredients that go into this tasty couscous salad, so it's best to make a list and head to the store. Pick up couscous, vegetable broth, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, olive oil, salt, black pepper, feta, black olives, sun-dried tomato oil, Dijon mustard, lemon, and chopped parsley. Once you have those ingredients, you can dive right into the recipe!

You'll need to use your oven to roast the veggies, so go ahead and preheat it to 300 F. In the meantime, grab a large bowl and dump in your couscous. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil, then pour it over the top and cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let that sit for about 10 minutes. During this 10 minutes, the couscous will absorb the boiling broth and fully cook!

Grab a baking tray and begin to load on the veggies, including the tomatoes, zucchini, and bell peppers. As a reminder, you should have diced these ahead of time. Drizzle the olive oil over the top, and sprinkle on 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Give everything a good stir to combine. Pop the veggies in the oven and roast for 25 minutes.

While you wait for the veggies to roast, you can mix up the dressing. Take out a bowl and add the sun-dried tomato oil, Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper, and lemon juice. Use a whisk to combine until the dressing gets a creamy, mayonnaise-like consistency. Dalton describes the flavor of this dressing as "zingy with a slight tang from the mustard," and notes that it's also "light and fresh."

Use a fork to separate the couscous, then take the roasted veggies out of the oven and add them to the bowl. You can also toss in the sun-dried tomatoes, feta, black olives, dressing, and parsley. "You can add other vegetables too, including aubergines and red onions," Dalton notes. Mix everything up and optionally top the whole salad off with extra parsley.

The last step is the most rewarding one, because you finally get to dig in! This salad is excellent on its own, but Dalton provides a few other serving suggestions. "It goes with absolutely everything and great for picnics or BBQs," she shares. We think it would be an awesome side for a burger or hot dog to balance things out. "This recipe makes such a decent amount it's great for lunchboxes too," Dalton adds. "This will keep well in the fridge for up to three days."