Israeli Couscous Salad
This Israeli Couscous Salad recipe with chickpeas brings together flavors of lemon, garlic and cumin with fresh parsley. It’s a fast and healthy side dish salad and naturally vegan so it compliments so many meals!
Table of contents
Why We Love Israeli Couscous Salad Recipes
I’ve been looking forward to sharing my new favorite salad recipe with you–Israeli Couscous Salad bursting with parsley, lemony, garlic dressing and chickpeas.
Israeli couscous, also known as ptitim or pearl couscous is a pasta made in factories by mechanical extrusion. The small pearl-like beads must be boiled and drained, just like pasta. Ptitim was actually invented in the 50’s in Israel as a rice substitute.
Today it’s still popular and is commonly very simply prepared worldwide. Here in the United States, we mosty only see instant couscous which is added to boiling water, and then sits, off the heat covered for 5 minutes.
This is what I like to call an all-seasons dish. If you’re serving it in warmer seasons, pair it with grilled chicken and a light yogurt sauce. If you’re making it in the winter time, serve the salad with a homemade hummus and roasted lamb. You can’t go wrong!
Key Ingredients For This Couscous Salad Recipe
Israeli couscous
You can find this in the bulk section of your health food store, or in the large supermarkets it’ll be with the rice and grains. Popular brands are Rice Select and Bob’s Red Mill.
Chickpeas
To give this couscous salad more fiber and some plant based protein, I added a can of chickpeas. I like to use chickpeas that are packed in cans made without BPA lining. Eden is my favorite. You can always soak and cook your own chickpeas, but trust me, this will save you so much time.
Ground cumin
This gives the dressing a delicious Middle Eastern flavor. Note: if you want to give this salad another flavor pop, add a half teaspoon of cinnamon in with the cumin!
Additional Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped parsley
Step by Step Instructions to Make This Pearl Couscous Salad
Step 1: Cook couscous
Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add couscous and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse under cool water. Drain well.
Step 2: Cook dressing
Meanwhile, combine oil and garlic in a small skillet and set over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling until the garlic is just starting to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add cumin and swirl for 5 seconds. Immediately pour the hot oil mixture into a large bowl. Add lemon juice, zest and salt.
Step 3: Assemble salad
Add in the couscous and stir to coat. Add chickpeas, parsley, almonds (or pistachios) and raisins and stir to combine. Serve immediately or chill.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Once you add the Israeli couscous to boiling water, give it a stir and cook (like pasta) until it’s al dente. You may need to turn down the burner to keep the pot from bubbling over. Once done cooking, make sure to drain through a fine mesh sieve or colander with small holes so none of it drains through.
You may need to add a touch more salt if you are serving it cold. That’s because our taste buds are less perceptive to flavors when they are cold. And the couscous will absorb the dressing while it sits, and there will not be enough seasoning for the parsley, chickpeas, etc.
Once couscous is cooked, add to a serving bowl with the remaining ingredients placed over top (do not stir). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When you are ready to serve it, stir it together.
Some side dishes to serve alongside are garlic hummus, roasted red pepper hummus, or my simple cucumber salad.
These Za’atar Chicken Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce would be yummy with this salad, as well as my Grilled Lamb Kofta Kebabs and this Roasted Eggplant with Pomegranate Molasses.
This Salted Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies from David sound amazing!
Additional Mediterranean Recipes to Try
- This Chickpea Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing is a great protein source for plant-based diets and is perfect to serve at potlucks, summer cookouts, picnics and barbecues.
- Here is a delicious Roasted Eggplant Salad with chickpeas, parsley and feta mixed in. It has a rich and savory lemon and roasted garlic dressing.
- With only 20 minutes of prep work, this simple Mediterranean Barley Salad is another easy recipe to add to your collection.
- I love this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad! It’s like a cross between Greek salad and quinoa tabbouleh all brought together with a garlic lemon dressing!
- If you’re looking for quick and easy you must try my 15-Minute Greek cucumber Salad with feta, olives and cherry tomatoes. It’s the absolute best!
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
PrintIsraeli Couscous Salad
- Total Time: 43 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Israeli Couscous Salad recipe with chickpeas brings together flavors of lemon, garlic and cumin with fresh parsley. It’s a fast and healthy side dish salad and naturally vegan so it compliments so many meals!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Israeli couscous
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- ½ cup toasted sliced almonds or chopped pistachios
- ¼ cup golden raisins
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add couscous and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, combine oil and garlic in a small skillet and set over medium high heat. Cook, swirling until the garlic is just starting to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add cumin and swirl for 5 seconds. Immediately pour the hot oil mixture into a large bowl. Add lemon juice, zest and salt.
- Add in the couscous and stir to coat. Add chickpeas, parsley, almonds (or pistachios) and raisins and stir to combine. Serve immediately or chill.
Notes
For more flavor, you can add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to the oil and garlic mixture with the cumin.
If you do not like raisins in savory dishes, you can sub in 1 large ripe tomato, diced.
Make Ahead Instructions
- After you stir the couscous with the dressing, add the remaining ingredients on top of the bowl, but do not stir it together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then refrigerate. When you are ready to serve it, stir it together.
- Note: You may need to add a touch more salt if you are serving it cold. That’s because our taste buds are less perceptive to flavors when they are cold. And the couscous will absorb the dressing while it sits, and there will not be enough seasoning for the parsley, chickpeas etc.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 298
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 283 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
Keywords: israeli couscous salad,couscous salad,vegan couscous salad,couscous salad with chickpeas,middle eastern couscous salad
I made this delicious salad today for the first time and love it. It’s so quick, easy and full of interesting textures and flavors. It’s a perfect side dish to have at lunch along with veggie burgers. Thank you Katie!
Thank you Cindy! I am so glad you like this salad!
I made this recipe and it’s sooo good. My family loves it. It’s perfect for any occasions. I’m actually making it again today. Thanks for this recipe. More power to you.
★★★★★
Can you use rice instead of couscous?
Yes definitely. Spread it out onto a sheet pan to chill it. Then once it is cold, toss the rice with the dressing breaking apart any chunks. Then add in the remaining ingredients.
Thank you so much for the tips! Everyone at my house loved it!
★★★★★
I have been making a new salad each week for lunch and this one is so delicious! Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
★★★★★
I love how the flavors all come together in this salad. The couscous and chickpeas are a great match. Fabulous!
★★★★★