Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Get ready to take a flavour-packed journey with this healthy Mediterranean Couscous Salad! This dish is a delightful fusion of Greek and Moroccan influences, combining fluffy couscous with creamy feta cheese, juicy vegetables, and a burst of herbs and spices.

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My Mediterranean Couscous Salad

With a mix of Greek and Moroccan inspiration, this couscous salad is lightly spiced with cumin and paprika, mixed with a rainbow of juicy vegetables, herbs and sharp red onion and topped with creamy, salty and tangy feta. 

Not only is this dish packed with flavour, but it’s also good for you. You can enjoy it as a side or as a main, and it’s a great salad to bring to a barbecue or any potluck get-together. 

So grab a plate, sit back, and let the vibrant flavours transport you to the sunny shores of the Mediterranean!

Ingredients For This Salad

Couscous – The recipe uses Moroccan couscous, which is the smallest kind. I used a San Remo couscous brand which only takes 5 minutes to cook covered with boiling water. You can use pearl couscous or Lebanese couscous but check the cooking instructions first. More about types of couscous here.

Broth flavourings – Mediterranean spices like cumin, paprika and garlic powder are used to infuse the couscous with flavour, as well as lemon zest and vegetable stock. 

For the salad – red or white onion can be used (for sharpness), capsicum/bell peppers of any colour, fresh cucumber, crunchy carrot, herbs like mint and coriander (cilantro) but you could also add parsley, Dried fruit – I love adding dried fruit to couscous dishes for a touch of sweetness and it’s very common in Moroccan cuisine. In this recipe, I use dried apricots but you can opt for raisins, sultanas, dried cranberries and so on. 

For the dressing – this one is simple with lemon juice, maple syrup and olive oil. 

Feta – you can use any feta you like, Greek or Danish. I prefer smooth Danish feta as it’s a little less salty. You can pimp it up with a fancy marinated goat’s feta. 

 Is Couscous Gluten-Free?

Couscous is typically made from durum wheat semolina, which is not gluten-free. However, there are gluten-free alternatives available, such as those made from rice, corn, or quinoa, that can be used as a substitute in recipes. You can also use cooked quinoa or finely diced cauliflower in place of couscous. 

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How To Make Couscous Salad 

The full recipe card with ingredients and a nutritional breakdown are below. You will also find some tips for making the best couscous under the recipe. Here are some step-by-step photos to guide you along.

Step 1. Prepare the couscous. As we are using the 5-minute instantly cooked couscous, you only need to cover the dry couscous with boiling water and let it steam and absorb the liquid under a lid. 

Add the couscous to a large bowl followed by spices, stock cube powder and lemon zest. Stir these together. Pour in the boiling water, stir through and cover the bowl with a lid. Leave undisturbed for 5-10 minutes, allowing the couscous to steam and absorb all of the hot liquid. 

Step 2. While the couscous is steaming, prepare other salad ingredients.

Step 3. Once couscous is done, fluff it with a fork. 

Step 4. Add the salad vegetables, herbs and chopped apricots to the couscous and drizzle over with lemon juice, olive oil and maple syrup. Combine well and top with crumbled feta cheese. 

Grab a fork and enjoy this Mediterranean couscous salad!

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More Mediterranean Salad Recipes

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Full Recipe 

Find the full list of ingredients, instructions, and a nutritional breakdown below. If you have questions or cook this recipe, please let me know in the comments, and make sure to rate this recipe so it’s easy for others to find.

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Tips For Making The Best Couscous

1. Mostly recommended liquid-to-couscous ratio is 1:1, so to cook 1 cup of couscous, you need 1 cup of boiling broth of water. However, some couscous packages have slightly different ratios, so do check those. For this recipe, I used 250 ml of boiling water for 1 cup (200 grams) of couscous. If you use too much liquid, the couscous will end up slightly soggy and sticky. Too little liquid will be drier and can at times taste undercooked. 
2. Flavour the water with spices, seasonings or stock powder or use pre-made broth like chicken or vegetable, to infuse couscous with flavour right away. For this recipe, I used a few spices and lemon zest.
3. Don’t disturb the couscous while it’s steaming and absorbing the hot liquid. 5-10 minutes should be sufficient.
4. Toasting couscous before cooking will give you a deeper, nuttier flavour. Before you add the couscous to the boiling liquid, give it a quick toast in the skillet with a bit of oil until it turns golden brown. 
5. Once ready, fluff the couscous with a fork. You can add a dollop of butter or some olive oil to make it taste less dry.