Healthy Vegan Couscous Salad Recipe

Today, I am excited to share one of my personal favourites with you: A recipe that is just as simple and quick to make as it is satisfying to eat: vegan couscous salad. Especially during the warmer months of the year, I tend to eat this dish at least once a week. It is loaded with protein, vitamins, fibre, carbs and healthy fats. This couscous salad works great as a refreshing dish on warm summer days but makes a perfect quick dinner or lunch during every season.

Ingredients for Delicious Couscous Salad:

• Fresh mint
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Chickpeas
• Couscous
• Paprikas
• Cherry tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Lemon
• Ras el hanout
• Cinnamon
• Turmeric
• Garlic powder
• Maple syrup
• Water or vegetable stock
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper to season
• Almonds
• Raisins

Optional Additions: Hummus, soy yoghurt, pomegranate seeds, avocado, leafy greens, spring onion, muhammara, crispy fried pita chips

This couscous salad recipe has room for lots of customisation. I usually use all the main ingredients I listed, but each of the optional additions brings something fantastic to the party too. Today, I am only adding some delicious homemade hummus as a topping. Pomegranate seeds and crispy fried pita chips add a satisfying contrast with their texture!

I like using the listed spices to coat the chickpeas but feel free to twist the flavour to your liking. Cumin, paprika powder, sumac, or za’atar work great in this recipe as well.

If you are using dried chickpeas, make sure to soak them overnight, and to cook them before making this couscous salad.

Why is Couscous Salad so Amazing:

While couscous is a staple across the Maghreb region and in many Middle-eastern countries, it lacks popularity here in the west. That still surprises me. Couscous is such a fantastic ingredient. It is cheap, super quick to cook, and tastes amazing. And while you could use it for many dishes, this couscous salad is my favourite way of enjoying it. It’s so easy to bring together. This dish makes the perfect light meal, and it is super versatile. It never gets boring to eat and is a well-balanced dish with tons of healthy, fresh ingredients.

Healthy Couscous Salad Recipe:

To make the couscous salad, I like to take care of the cooking part first. Preparing the couscous and chickpeas first will give us time to let the hot ingredients cool down. While the ingredients cool, we can prepare the vegetables. This saves time, and the salad stays fresh and crunchy.

So firstly, it’s couscous and chickpeas. We will mix these with the veggies and herbs and finish the couscous salad with some little extras and a light dressing.

Preparing the Couscous:

Add the couscous to a pot. Mix in two tablespoons of olive oil, and toast the couscous lightly. After one to two minutes, add hot vegetable stock or water and a pinch of salt and pepper. Using a light homemade vegetable stock will give more flavour to the couscous, but hot water also works fine. Once boiling, turn off the heat, cover and set aside. The couscous will absorb the liquid. After 10 minutes, fluff the couscous with a fork and let it cool to room temperature.

Making the Chickpeas:

For this salad, spice-coated chickpeas will bring protein and flavour. You can use canned or soaked chickpeas for this. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in your pan, and toss in the chickpeas. Add salt, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic powder, ras el hanout, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Combine until well until the chickpeas are well coated in spices. I like to cook them with some acquafaba liquid from the chickpea can to make them extra creamy. Give them a try, adjust the seasoning to your liking, and set them aside to cool off.

Toasting the other Ingredients:

Chop the nuts into bite-sized pieces, and add them together with your raisins to the pan. Keep a good eye on them while they toast. The nuts can burn quickly if not watched closely. Toast them until they reach a nice roast. Like with the chickpeas, set them aside to cool. You might want to take them out of the pan, as the remaining heat can be enough to burn them.

Preparing your Veggies:

Next, we can go ahead and prepare the remaining ingredients of the salad. Wash the bell pepper, flat-leaf parsley, mint, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes. Cut the cucumber, bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes to your liking.

Strip the leaves from the mint and parsley, chop them finely, and add them, together with the vegetables, to your salad bowl.

Bringing the Couscous Salad Together:

Once your hot ingredients have cooled down, add everything to the bowl and combine. The salad is so stuffed with flavour and spice that it doesn’t require much of a dressing. I like to squeeze the juice of one lemon into the salad for some acidity. A generous sip of extra virgin olive oil and black pepper round everything off.

Give it one last check for seasoning. When plating, I dressed the couscous salad with a drizzle of olive oil and homemade hummus. A final crack of black pepper for garnishing, and you are ready to enjoy this godly salad.

If you feel like it, this yogurt tahini sauce can make a nice topping!

I hope you enjoy this delicious couscous salad recipe. Let me know what you think in the comments!

• Quick note about this recipe: This couscous salad is best eaten fresh, or at least on the same day it is prepared. Couscous doesn’t really work well for meal prep, as it will turn sour rather quickly. Leftovers should stay fresh for a day in the fridge.

Some other Recipes you might Enjoy:

• This vegetable tajine is so rich in flavour.
• Tabbouleh is another perfect refreshing dish for the summer.
• Fattoush is such a satisfying salad to eat!
• This beet salad with grape and walnut is such a great summer dish.
• This delicious spiced orange mint tea goes great with couscous salad.
• Vegan stuffed dates are a great snack.
• Delicious falafel wraps never disappoint.
• This vegan tagine is so creamy and delicious.
• You will love this roasted fig couscous salad.

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