Lemon Couscous Summer Salad

Pasta salads are great. I find couscous salads are perhaps even one step easier to make, as they don’t require any draining of water or active cooking on the stove—simply mix boiling water with couscous and a pinch of salt, and let the ingredients sit together with a lid for five minutes!

Fresh lemon, parsley, olive oil, and Feta cheese provide brightness and richness to this quick and easy summer salad recipe. It works great as an item to bring to summer barbeques or family gatherings as a side dish. I’ve added some slivered almonds to the recipe below.

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Lemon Couscous Summer Salad

Pasta salads are great. I find couscous salads are perhaps even one step easier to make, as they don’t require any draining of water or active cooking on the stove—simply mix boiling water with couscous and a pinch of salt, and let the ingredients sit together with a lid for five minutes!

Fresh lemon, parsley, olive oil, and Feta cheese provide brightness and richness to this quick and easy summer salad recipe. It works great as an item to bring to summer barbeques or family gatherings as a side dish. I’ve added some slivered almonds to the recipe below.

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried couscous
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• ½ red onion (cut small dice)
• 20 cherry tomatoes (cut into quarters)
• 1 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 10 fresh basil leaves (finely sliced)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• The zest of 2 lemons
• The juice of 2 lemons
• 1 cup Feta cheese
• ¼ cup slivered almonds
• Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper (to taste)

Instructions 

• Add two cups of dried couscous to a soup pot.
• Mix the couscous with two cups of boiling water and one teaspoon of Kosher salt.
• Cover the contents with a tight-fitting lid, and allow the couscous to steam for roughly 5-10 minutes.
• Remove the lid from the couscous, and gently fluff the grains with a fork.
• Allow the couscous to cool for ten minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced red onion, cherry tomatoes, parsley, basil, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, feta cheese, and slivered almonds.
• Add the cooked couscous from earlier, and mix well.
• Season the mixture with some Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
• Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Notes

You can make this salad in advance of serving, or even eat this the following day—it will still taste great.