Mediterranean Couscous Salad

This salad is bursting with flavor, and with a few simple ingredients you will be making this delicious salad on repeat. Pearled couscous combined with an array of colorful vegetables, mango, and plenty of fresh herbs drizzled with a light dressing. It’s the perfect salad for any occasion. I am sure it will soon become one of your favorite salads!

Why I love this salad so much

I have been making this easy whole grain couscous salad for longer than I can remember. The original blog post aired in May of 2012! I have kept some of the old photos from the original post below, just for old times sake. Why do I love this salad so much? Because it’s the perfect alternative to a green salad or pasta salad. It’s full of flavor and fresh ingredients and crunchy veggies. It’s a little bit sweet, but has a hint of spice. This Mediterranean couscous salad recipe comes together very easily, and keeps well, making it perfect to make ahead of time if you are entertaining!

Gather these ingredients

This is how you make Mediterranean Couscous Salad

1. In a medium saucepan add 1 1/4 cups water, bring water to a boil, turn off stove top, add pearl couscous to the hot water, stir, cover, and let it set for 15 minutes. Couscous cooks off direct heat. Fluff with a fork and let cool.

2. Prep vegetables: Dice mango, and red bell pepper. Wash, dry, and chop spinach. (two cups of spinach is about two nice fists full of spinach). Clean and slice green onions. Drain and rinse black beans. Add it all to a large bowl.

3. Add dressing ingredients to a small bowl: the juice of one lime, chopped cilantro, ground ginger, cayenne pepper, and salt.

4. Whisk dressing together, sure to mix the dressing well, and scrape every last bit onto salad. Combine dressing and ingredients. (tip: for added flavor add lime or lemon zest to the dressing)

Some things are the same around here and some things are very different…

I bought all my flowers, for my flowers boxes and pots around the house. (I’m still making my own flower boxes.)

I planted my mini garden.  Which consists of basil, lots of basil, tomatoes, a few jalapeno peppers, and herbs.  I do not have a green thumb, this is my limit, plus last year I battled keeping the stinking wild turkeys out of my garden.  This year I was smart and put up the wire fence and planted marigolds right away!  Take that you turkeys! (I have given up on gardening and taken to the farmers markets, my thumb is still not green.)

I battled this hair every morning but that’s nothing new.  Oh my is that some bed head or what!? (What I wouldn’t do to battle this bed head again, this cheeka is grown and living in Atlanta. “Time where hast thou gonest?”)

We took the kiddos to the beach in Grand Haven.  I love Grand Haven State Park.  I grew up going to this beach town.  But this weekend it was out of control busy! How did all you people find out about my town?  Leave!  Quit hogging up the place, I didn’t even get to have my Rock Pile Shake at the Dairy Treat insanity, so many people in line and my husband wasn’t having it. (Well nothings changed Grand Haven is still ree-donk-u-lous in the summer months. The Dairy Treat is still there, but they knocked the old one down and built fancy condos and put a new Dairy Treat on the street level. The Rock Pile Shakes are still there and its still the only thing I ever order, with peanuts please.)

Of course we couldn’t miss the parade in the little neighboring town.  It’s awesome!  It’s what this country is all about.  Veterans, Tootsie Rolls, tractors, church VBS floats, boy scouts, and muscle cars.  And what is a parade with out a few horseys poopin’!  Dang I love this country! (Times they are a changin, but this parade is still happening, and I still love this country.)

Then our family ended the weekend out with good friends, great food, and lotsa laughs. I did have a few Greetah’s.  Very thankful. (I’m still very thankful. Thankful to be here, thankful for all you! Cheers!)

Back to our regularly scheduled program, Mediterranean Couscous Salad.

Tips & Variations

• Making ahead: Mediterranean Couscous Salad tastes better the next day so it is the perfect side dish to make the day before. Place in an airtight container and store in your refrigerator, for up to 3 days.
• Pearl Couscous substitutions: Any type of couscous can be used in this salad; standard, medium, Israeli, pearled couscous all work. It is usually near other whole grains and rice in the grocery store. If you cannot find couscous my next choice would be to use orzo. Quinoa would also work, but it does a a distinct flavor profile, but it still will taste good, just different than the original version.
• Substitutions: These ingredients can be changed out for the following. Lemon in place of the lime. Any color bell pepper works, red, yellow, orange. Arugula will give this a peppery flavor but it can be used in place of the spinach. Use garbanzo beans instead of black beans. Red onion diced fine instead of green onion.
• Add-ins: This salad is so versatile!! I have added chopped apple, extra bell peppers, crunchy cucumbers, finely diced jalapeno pepper. I have added basil, mint, and parsley to this salad. Fresh ginger. A garlic clove grated. Toasted pine nuts are also perfect in this Its a great way to get fresh veggies in your diet!
• Because this salad doesn’t have any mayonnaise in it, it’s a great recipe to make for a picnic on a hot summer day, it tastes great at room temperature, and you don’t have to worry about it going bad if it gets warm.
• Adjust this salad to your tastes, just promise me you will share what you did and how it turned out!
• Double the recipe because it is always gone before everyone gets through the picnic buffet line.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Remember if you love this recipe please share it on all your socials or give me a rating below in the recipe card! Thanks for being here! Enjoy, Sheila