Mediterranean Couscous Salad (Printable Version)
Fluffy couscous tossed with fresh Mediterranean vegetables and a sweet-spicy hot honey lemon vinaigrette for a bright, flavorful dish.
# What You Need:
→ Couscous & Vegetables
01 - 1 cup uncooked couscous
02 - 1¼ cups boiling water
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - ½ cup cucumber, diced
05 - ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
06 - ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
07 - ⅓ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
08 - ⅓ cup feta cheese, crumbled
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped (optional)
→ Hot Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
11 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
13 - 1 tablespoon honey
14 - ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
15 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
16 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
17 - ½ teaspoon sea salt
18 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
# How-To:
01 - Place couscous in a large heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over the couscous, cover tightly with plastic wrap or a plate, and let steep for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff gently with a fork. Allow to cool slightly while preparing the remaining components.
02 - In a small bowl or mason jar, combine olive oil, fresh lemon juice, honey, red pepper flakes, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, sea salt, and black pepper. Whisk vigorously or shake until the vinaigrette is fully emulsified and creamy in appearance.
03 - Add halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced red bell pepper, finely chopped red onion, sliced Kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese, chopped parsley, and mint (if using) to the bowl with the cooled couscous. Toss gently to distribute evenly.
04 - Pour the hot honey lemon vinaigrette over the couscous mixture. Toss thoroughly until every ingredient is evenly coated. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes as needed.
05 - Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Garnish with additional fresh herbs or extra crumbled feta before serving if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The contrast of sweet honey and fiery pepper flakes in the vinaigrette wakes up every single vegetable on the plate.
- It comes together in under thirty minutes, which makes it a weeknight hero when cooking feels like a chore.
- Couscous absorbs the dressing like a sponge, so every forkful tastes better than the last.
02 -
- Do not skip the resting time after dressing because the couscous needs those minutes to drink in the vinaigrette.
- If you rinse the red onion under cold water before adding it, the raw bite softens without losing its character.
03 -
- Toss the couscous with a tiny drizzle of olive oil right after fluffing to keep the grains from clumping as they cool.
- Taste the vinaigrette on its own before adding it to the salad because adjusting seasoning at that stage is far easier than fixing a bland bowl later.