Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Simple, light, and loaded with fresh Mediterranean flavors, this couscous salad is so darn good. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s perfect for potlucks, light lunches, or an easy dinner side dish.
The star of the show in today’s Mediterranean salad is couscous. Often mistaken for a grain, couscous is actually a pasta. Native to North Africa and a staple starch throughout the Mediterranean, couscous is made from semolina (durum wheat) flour and water. Like pasta, the flavor profile of couscous is very mild, making it an ideal base for a wide range of seasonings and add-in ingredients like roasted vegetables, grilled meats, dried fruit, or toasted nuts.
The three most common types of couscous include Moroccan, Israeli, and Lebanese. Selecting the right one depends on what you’re making.
Moroccan couscous
This fine-grained couscous is the one most commonly found in grocery stores. The dough used to make this version of couscous is rubbed together creating small, granular pieces that resemble fine bulgur wheat. Because of its small size, it cooks in about 5 minutes. Moroccan couscous can be enjoyed in a variety of ways: mix it with seasoned roasted vegetables and a drizzle of olive oil, use it as a filling for stuffed peppers, or create a pilaf with sautéed onions and toasted pine nuts.
Israeli couscous
Also known as pearl couscous, Israeli couscous are tiny beads of pasta that are about the size of peppercorns. Compared to Moroccan couscous, the texture is chewier and heartier. Israeli couscous works well in pasta salads like today’s recipe. It’s also wonderful in soups, stews, and risottos. It takes a little longer to cook, about 10 to 15 minutes. If you’d like your Israeli couscous to have a light golden hue, toast it in a dry skillet before cooking.
Lebanese couscous
The largest of the three types of couscous is Lebanese couscous or Moghrabiah. While it can be a substitute for Israeli couscous in recipes, it’s typically used to make Moghrabiah, a traditional Lebanese stew made with chicken, chickpeas, onions, and spices. Because it’s larger, it takes the longest to cook, about 15 to 20 minutes.
At the grocery store, look for Moroccan and Israeli couscous in the pasta section, rice section, or international foods aisle. Check for Lebanese couscous at Middle eastern specialty markets. For a healthier, fiber-filled option, choose whole-wheat couscous if it’s available. A 1-cup cooked serving of whole-wheat couscous contains about 5 grams of dietary fiber; traditional couscous has 2 grams of fiber per serving.
To your health,
Darlene
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MEDITERRANEAN COUSCOUS SALAD
Yield: 8 servings
Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Prep: 15 minutes
Ready: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup dry Israeli (pearl) couscous, preferably whole wheat
1 1/8 cups water
1 1/4 cups diced seedless cucumber
1/2 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup kalamata olives, cut into quarters
1/3 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Place couscous in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold water. Add water (1 1/8 cups) to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add rinsed couscous, bring water back to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Cover with a lid and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until couscous is tender and all the water is absorbed. Rinse cooked couscous under cold water and drain well.
In a large bowl, combine drained couscous, cucumber, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, red onion, and parsley. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together vinegar, oil, sugar, oregano, garlic, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
When ready to serve, pour dressing over couscous and vegetables and gently toss to combine.
Nutrition Information per Serving
149 Calories, 7 g Total fat, 1 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 0 mg Cholesterol, 232 mg Sodium, 19 g Total carbohydrate, 2 g Dietary fiber, 3 g Total sugars, 0.5 g Added sugars, 3 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 18 mg (2%) Calcium, 1 mg (6%) Iron, 211 mg (4%) Potassium
© 2026 RECIPES MADE HEALTHY BY DARLENE ZIMMERMAN, MS, RD LLC
