Mediterranean flavours shine in this Greek Couscous Salad. Fresh, vibrant and so easy to make. The perfect side dish for any meal, and great for parties and BBQs.
Greek food is so delicious. This zoodle salad is made with spiralized zucchini. A fun twist on a classic dish. Love nachos? Give these Greek nachos a try, paired with homemade hummus.
This salad combines fluffy couscous, cucumbers, feta cheese, juicy tomatoes, and black olives tossed in a simple homemade Greek dressing. Always a hit at any gathering.
If you are like me, I am always on the lookout for lots of interesting salad recipes. We often turn salads into dinner with the addition of some protein. Makes for an easy and healthy meal.
We like to entertain, especially in the summer, and you can never have too many salad recipes to draw from. Whether it is pasta, potato, coleslaw, or fresh veggies, salads are always welcome.
Simple Couscous Salad
This couscous recipe combines all the ingredients that you would find in a traditional Greek salad.
- Pearl couscous
- Olive oil
- White balsamic vinegar
- Greek seasoning
- White sugar
- Cucumber
- Grape tomatoes
- Black olives
- Feta cheese
Simple easy ingredients that you can find in any grocery store.
Greek Couscous Salad Is Easy To Make
Here is the condensed version, but all the instructions are in the recipe card below.
The first thing you need to do is precook the couscous. I used tri-colour pearl couscous. I like to lightly toast it before cooking. You can skip this step and cook the couscous according to package directions.
Combine all the Greek salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside.
Once the couscous is cooked and cooled, add it to a large mixing bowl along with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese. Add the salad dressing and give it a good toss to combine.
This Mediterranean inspired salad is ready to eat. You can serve it at room temperature, or place it covered in the fridge until ready to use.
Types Of Couscous
Couscous comes in three varieties, small, medium, and large.
- Pearl or Israeli couscous is a medium size. It is about the size of peppercorns and is great for salads since it has a chewy texture and nutty flavour. It comes in a tri-colour, whole wheat, and regular.
- Moroccan couscous is a tiny variety similar to the size of quinoa. Perfect in lots of great recipes, especially soups.
- Lebanese is larger than Israeli, almost pea-sized. Perfect for stews since it takes the longest to cook.
1 cup of dry couscous will yield about 2 cups of cooked couscous. It can be cooked in water or any stock. Too much liquid and it will be soggy, not enough liquid and it will be hard. Always check package directions.
Couscous resembles a grain, but it is a type of pasta made from flour. It is not gluten-free.
Suggestions/Recipe Tips
Couscous can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to use. I adjusted the amount of water when cooking to produce a nice chewy texture. Toasting it before cooking brings out the nutty flavour, but you can skip this step if you would rather not do it.
You can serve this as soon as it is made, or chill in the fridge. Leftovers will last for 3-4 days stored covered in the fridge.
Fresh herbs can be added as a garnish. Parsley or basil would be great.
Black olives are traditional for Greek salads, but feel free to use any kind you like.
You can use store bought salad dressing in place of homemade.
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Serve this couscous side dish at lunch, brunch, or dinner. It goes great with grilled koftas, chicken skewers, or zucchini burgers.
Looking for more Mediterranean dishes? Give these a try:
- Lamb Rolls are a fun twist on egg rolls.
- Eggplant Slices are a great alternative to garlic bread.
Greek Couscous Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked pearl couscous cooked according to directions
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided ( 1 + 3)
- 1 ½ tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning
- ½ teaspoon white sugar
- 5 ounces cucumber diced
- 4 ounces grape tomatoes diced
- 2 ounces black olives sliced
- 4 ounces feta cheese crumbled
Instructions
Cook Couscous
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
- Add the dry couscous and lightly toast for 1-2 minues, be sure not to burn it. The pearls should have a nice light brown colour.
- In a pot bring to a boil 1 ⅓ cups of water.
- Add the toasted couscous, bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Cover and cook for about 12- 14 minutes until tender.
- Remove from heat, place in a large mixing bowl to cool.
- You can add 1 tablespoon of the Greek salad dressing to the couscous to prevent it from sticking.
Salad Dressing
- Combine the remaining olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, Greek seasoning and sugar. Mix well and set aside until ready to use.
Salad
- Wash and cut the olives and cucumbers. Crumble the feta cheese.
- In a large bowl combine the cooked couscous, with the diced vegetables, feta cheese and salad dresssing.
- Mix well. It can be served at room temperature, or cover and chill to serve later.
Marisa
We love using our pearl couscous for salads. We’ve made just about every kind there is and this Greek one is a favorite. It’s fantastic with our grilled lamb and chicken. And the best part is that it makes a lot so we can enjoy it the following day.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
We love this Greek salad made with couscous. It even works as a stand alone meal.
Ana
Can’t wait to try this!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Hope you give this couscous salad a try soon. Perfect for summer parties.
Tina
My whole family loved this coucous recipe! Can’t wait to make it again!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
My family loves it too. So glad you enjoyed it.
Loreto and Nicoletta Nardelli
Super easy and so refrshing, this Greek cous cous salad is going to be on repeat all summer!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
It is a fun twist on the classic Greek salad
Elizabeth
The homemade Greek dressing is my favorite. Perfect for a quick and light lunch!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This is a great lunch salad for sure.
Moop Brown
This salad seems very nutritious and colorful and like a perfect dish for cookouts or get-togethers this summer.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I love serving this salad at bbq parties.
Carrie Robinson
This is such a great idea for a salad! This would make amazing lunches for the week. Can’t wait to try this recipe soon. 🙂
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Leftovers are perfect for lunch. ENJOY!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer
I ate this almost every day for lunch. I did omit the olives (not a fan) and added grilled chicken or shrimp. Seriously this is INCREDIBLE! The dressing is so good! Seriously perfect for meal prep.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
That is the fun of making things at home, you can mix and match ingredients to suit you.
Erin
I have some feta to use, and this looks like the perfect use! I’ve never had couscous but I’m eager to try this recipe. It sounds perfect for summer days!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This is such a fun and delicious twist on the classic Greek salad.
mik
This was a very hearty salad (we ate it as a meal) and loved every bite!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
We love this as a meal as well. So filling and lots of flavours and textures.
amy liu dong
This recipe is amazing! The sweetness, tartness, and a touch of saltiness goes well together. It’s freshness, you can feel it, it is an amazing dish!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
It’s a fun twist for the traditional Greek salad.
Swathi
Greek Couscous slad looks perfect meal, with sourdough bread and soup.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Sounds like a delicious dinner plan to me too, especially with your bread baking skills.
Julie
I had some leftover pearled couscous and came across your recipe to make something new with it. The flavors in this are so tasty and I love how simply it came together. This one is a winner!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Thanks so much. This is a nice change from regular Greek salad.
Tiffany
This salad is delicious! I love to make it ahead of time and have it in the fridge ready to go for my lunches. I just add a protein and it is perfect!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This is a great one to make ahead of time for sure. ENJOY!
Nicole
We love this as a side for dinners! It’s a great way to get extra veggies in too. The flavors Mix so well!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I can make a meal out of this salad, so good.