Couscous Salad
Posted Jul 09, 2025
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This couscous salad recipe is a fresh & flavorful side dish. Couscous and veggies are tossed in a delicious homemade dressing.
If you’re looking for a quick side dish that is easy to prepare, this couscous salad recipe is just what you need!
Couscous (which, if using instant, takes 5 minutes to cook), tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs and more are tossed in a flavorful homemade dressing then chilled until ready to serve (so it’s easy to prepare in advance).
Cous cous salad is a delicious side dish to serve at a barbecue or with your favorite Mediterranean recipes.
Couscous Salad: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Couscous. I have made this recipe with both quick-cooking couscous (1 cup = 165 grams) and pearl couscous (1 cup = 153 grams) with great results.
- Butter. olive oil is a great substitute for butter.
- Cucumber. We prefer to use peeled cucumbers.
- Green Onion. red or yellow onions are a good substitute.
- Baby Tomatoes. You can substitute any tomato variety including heirloom, Roma, etc.
- Olive oil. Avocado oil is a great substitute if you don’t have olive oil.
- Dijon Mustard. Any mustard variety can be used in place of Dijon.
How to Make Couscous Salad
Let’s walk through this couscous salad recipe together, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Start by bringing 1 ¼ cups water + ¼ tsp sea salt to a boil. Once boiling, add the couscous.
If using quick cooking couscous stir, turn off heat add butter (if desired),
Then, cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
For pearl couscous: reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 10-14 minutes or until tender, add butter (if desired) let sit covered for 10 minutes before stirring)
When the couscous is finished cooking, transfer to a large bowl to cool, stirring often.
While the couscous is cooling, whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
Once the couscous has cooled, add cucumber, onion, tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh parsley and the dressing and stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Then, cover the couscous salad and chill for at least 1 hour or until completely chilled.
If desired, add avocado immediately before serving.
Serve
Serve this couscous salad recipe chilled as a side dish to your favorite mediterranean recipes. It’s perfect with greek chicken, greek meatballs and chicken kebabs!
Store
Because of the avocado in this couscous salad recipe it lasts for 1-2 days in the fridge. If you choose not to add avocado it can last for up to 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
Couscous Salad Recipe FAQS
Couscous is technically a pasta, made from semolina flour and water.
As mentioned above, couscous is classified as a pasta.
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Couscous Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup couscous*
- 1 ¼ cups water
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter (optional)
Salad
- 1 cup cucumber (peeled and diced, about ½ a cucumber)
- 2 green onions (finely sliced)
- 1 pint baby tomatoes (halved, or 2 tomatoes, finely diced)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil (chopped)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 avocado (diced)
Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Cook Couscous:
- Bring 1 ¼ cups water + ¼ tsp sea salt to a boil. Add couscous – for quick cooking stir, turn off heat add butter (if desired). Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. For pearl couscous: reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 10-14 minutes or until tender, add butter (if desired) let sit covered for 10 minutes before stirring)
- When couscous is finished cooking, transfer to a large bowl to cool, stirring often.
Make the Dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients
Assemble the Couscous Salad
- Once the couscous has cooled, add cucumber, onion, tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh parsley and the dressing and stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Chill & Serve
- Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or until completely chilled.
- If desired, add avocado immediately before serving.
- Serve cold.
Video
Notes
- Couscous. I have made this recipe with both quick-cooking couscous (1 cup = 165 grams) and pearl couscous (1 cup = 153 grams) with great results.
- Butter. olive oil is a great substitute for butter.
- Cucumber. We prefer to use peeled cucumbers.
- Green Onion. red or yellow onions are a good substitute.
- Baby Tomatoes. You can substitute any tomato variety including heirloom, Roma, etc.
- Olive oil. Avocado oil is a great substitute if you don’t have olive oil.
- Dijon Mustard. Any mustard variety can be used in place of Dijon.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
