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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Get The Recipe!
Roasted Vegetable Couscous
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
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.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Notes
- Cook the couscous while the vegetables are in the oven roasting. This saves on cooking time.
- Important – only add the arugula when you are ready to serve the salad. If will wilt if prepared in advance.
thanks for stopping by and hope to see you soon!
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.
Yes, great as a side, main or even lunch. I’ve added shrimp before and that went really well also. Thanks Bernice!
I really enjoyed this salad especially after the holidays – ,y body just cravesss wholesome food!
Happy you enjoyed it Nancy. Perfect for after the long holiday period of treats!
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!
Thanks Colleen, great in summer or winter for sure. I love it with a barbecue or even a winter roast. Thank you!
yum such a nice addition to the meal. I love the flavors and the addition of chickpeas as protein.
Thanks Sadia, I’ve been making this dish for years in summer and winter.
Thank you for sharing your method – so light and fluffy!
It works every time. Thanks Terri!