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December 18, 2021 By Julia Pinney 10 Comments

Roast Vegetable Couscous Salad

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This Roast Vegetable Couscous Salad is light and fresh. Fluffy couscous filled with Mediterranean roasted vegetables, chickpeas and herbs. A great lunch idea or as part of a bigger dinner.

close up of the roasted vegetable couscous salad
Roasted Vegetable Couscous Salad

Do you like couscous? Have you ever even tired it? Well, about 20 years ago, i was a stranger to the stuff and didn’t even know how to cook it or what it even was. Did you know that’s it’s wheat based and kind of like really small fine grains of pasta? Yes!

Couscous cooked in just minutes, which makes it a quick dish as well. In fact it’s even quicker than pasta and much quicker than rice. So if you’re short on time, grab a box of couscous and get going on your quick side dish for dinner.

What I love about couscous, is it’s versatility. It’s quite bland in flavour so will take on what ever you add to it. In this case, it loaded with peppers, zucchini, chickpeas and herbs. It’s full of flavour and a great Mediterranean style dish.

Delicious hot or cold.  I love serving it at barbecue events as it is one of those dishes that just really says summertime.  That being said, it is a fantastic side to Green Olive Chicken.

roast vegetable couscous salad in a bowl
Roast Vegetable Couscous Salad

What We Need To Make The Roasted Vegetable Couscous

  • Couscous
  • Vegetable stock
  • Red peppers
  • Zucchini
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Chickpeas
  • Fresh cilantro/coriander

REMEMBER, you will find the full recipe and instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Ingredients to make the roast vegetable couscous salad
Roast Vegetable Couscous Salad

Chop & Cook The Peppers & Zucchini

  • Dice the vegetables – I cut mine into about 1 inch pieces. You can cut them a little smaller if you like.
  • Preheat oven –– preheat the oven to 350 degrees c and have ready a large baking dish.
  • Add vegetables to dish – add the vegetables to the baking dish. Drizzle over olive oil, add crushed garlic and season with salt.
  • Roast the vegetables – roast between 30 – 40 minutes or until soft and slightly soft. Remove from oven and set aside.

How to Make Perfect Fluffy Couscous Every time

Please, try this method for cooking couscous. I’ve done it the box way for years and it always comes out mushy. This method will give you fluffy and perfectly cooked couscous every single time.

  • Add dry couscous to pot – Measure 1 cup of dried couscous to a pot.
  • Pour over stock – I used vegetable stock for this recipe. Pour over 1 1/3 cups of boiling vegetable stock
  • Cover with plastic wrap – immediately cover the couscous with plastic wrap. Make sure it’s covered completely. You can then put a lid the top. Leave for 10 minutes.
  • Fluff couscous – Using a fork, start to fluff the couscous. Start fluffing the top and working your way down through the couscous

Assemble The Roasted Vegetable Couscous Salad

  • Combine all ingredients – Add the couscous, chickpeas and arugula leaves to the roasted vegetables and stir to combine.

IMPORTANT – only add the fresh arugula leaves if you are serving immediately. They will wilt in this salad if not eaten shortly after preparation. If you are planning to serve this later, add the arugula leaves just before serving.


Couscous Salad Ready To Enjoy

  • This salad can be enjoyed right away or kept in the fridge for later.
  • It can be made up to two days in advance. Don’t add the arugula until you are about to serve the salad.
over head table setting view of the roasted vegetable couscous salad
Roasted Vegetable Couscous Salad

What Dishes Can I serve with This Couscous Salad

  • Chicken & Turkey – I’ve served this with the Green Olive Chicken so many times and it goes great. As well, the Roasted Spatchcock Chicken would be great.
  • Fish & Seafood – Why not serve it alongside the Lemon Crusted Baked Cod or the Pan Fried Hake.
  • Beef & Pork – Serve it with the Moroccan Spiced Pork Kebabs or the Barbecue Pork Tenderloin.
close up of the roast vegetable couscous salad
Roast Vegetable Couscous Salad

Are There Any Substitutions I can Make To This Couscous Salad

  • Vegetables – You can use any colour poppers that you like, eggplant, and even red onions work too.
  • Parsley – Basil and chives will work.
  • Arugula leaves – these add a nice touch to the salad to add before serving, but you can leave it out if you prefer. Spinach will also work.
  • Additional ingredients – The addition or cubed mozzarella or crumbled feta will also work.
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Get The Recipe!



close up of the roast vegetable couscous salad
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Roasted Vegetable Couscous

Delicious hot or cold. I love serving it at barbecue events as it is one of those dishes that just really says summertime.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: side dish, vegeterian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 188kcal
Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

  • 1 cup couscous
  • 1 1/3 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 red pepper roughly chopped
  • 1 zucchini halved length ways and sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup chickpeas cooked
  • Bunch of fresh chopped parsley to serve
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and on a large baking tray arrange red pepper and zucchini. Drizzle over olive oil season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast for approximately 30 – 40 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and slightly scorched. Remove from oven and set aside.
  • Add the dry couscous to pot and pour over boiling stock. Immediately cover the couscous with plastic wrap. Make sure it's covered completely. You can then put a lid the top. Leave for 10 minutes. Using a fork, start to fluff the couscous. Start fluffing the top and working your way down through the couscous until it is completely fluffed up.
  • Now add the chickpeas and roasted vegetables. Give a good stir and top with fresh parsley.
  • Can be served warm or cold. Will keep in the fridge up to two days.

Notes

  1. Cook the couscous while the vegetables are in the oven roasting.  This saves on cooking time.
  2. Important – only add the arugula when you are ready to serve the salad.  If will wilt if prepared in advance.
Nutrition Facts
Roasted Vegetable Couscous
Amount Per Serving (6 servings)
Calories 188 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Sodium 605mg26%
Potassium 255mg7%
Carbohydrates 33g11%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 805IU16%
Vitamin C 32mg39%
Calcium 27mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Filed Under: Recipes, Salads & Sides Tagged With: chickpeas, couscous, healthy recipes, mediterranean recipes, salad recipes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bernice says

    January 5, 2022 at 5:52 am

    5 stars
    I love the look of this satisfying wintry salad so I just had to try it. It’s such a great side dish for any protein and the leftovers make a great lunch on their own.

    Reply
    • Julia Pinney says

      January 6, 2022 at 7:46 am

      Yes, great as a side, main or even lunch. I’ve added shrimp before and that went really well also. Thanks Bernice!

      Reply
  2. nancy says

    January 5, 2022 at 6:51 pm

    5 stars
    I really enjoyed this salad especially after the holidays – ,y body just cravesss wholesome food!

    Reply
    • Julia Pinney says

      January 6, 2022 at 7:45 am

      Happy you enjoyed it Nancy. Perfect for after the long holiday period of treats!

      Reply
  3. Colleen says

    January 5, 2022 at 10:35 pm

    5 stars
    This may be a great summer salad, but it looked so good, I couldn’t wait. It’s so quick and easy to put together and super fresh and flavourful. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Julia Pinney says

      January 6, 2022 at 7:44 am

      Thanks Colleen, great in summer or winter for sure. I love it with a barbecue or even a winter roast. Thank you!

      Reply
  4. Sadia says

    January 6, 2022 at 6:04 am

    5 stars
    yum such a nice addition to the meal. I love the flavors and the addition of chickpeas as protein.

    Reply
    • Julia Pinney says

      January 6, 2022 at 7:43 am

      Thanks Sadia, I’ve been making this dish for years in summer and winter.

      Reply
  5. Terri Gilson says

    January 11, 2022 at 3:58 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for sharing your method – so light and fluffy!

    Reply
    • Julia Pinney says

      January 15, 2022 at 1:55 pm

      It works every time. Thanks Terri!

      Reply

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