Easy Mediterranean couscous Salad  with Lemon & Harissa Dressing

This easy Mediterranean couscous salad, tossed with a lemony harissa dressing, is a simple and deliciously refreshing summer vegetarian salad perfect for your next BBQ.

Lately, I have developed a fondness for salads, especially quick and easy-to-assemble ones, which I usually have for lunch. I find that salads are delicious and a healthy option, as they allow me to add more veggies to my diet. They are light and refreshing, and I love experimenting with different ingredients, dressings, and toppings to create new and exciting flavor combinations. Whether it’s a classic Caesar salad, a colorful Mediterranean salad, or a protein-packed Cobb salad, I always feel energized and satisfied after eating a hearty bowl of greens.

I enjoy salads with carbs, so I like to add pasta, rice, croutons, and couscous. Couscous is one of my favorite ingredients, and it was the first thing I learned to cook as a teenager. When I made couscous for the first time, I served it with lamb tagine. It turned out well.

Couscous is a versatile ingredient that can be cooked quickly and easily by adding hot water or broth and then covering it for 10-15 minutes.

Ingredients

Couscous – I used the regular fine couscous. 

Vegetable Stock – Adding stock instead of water makes the couscous more flavorful. We wanted a vegetarian salad, so I used vegetable stock. You could use water or chicken stock. 

Bell Pepper – I love using red bell peppers in salads because of their sweet flavor. Feel free to use any peppers of your choice. 

Tomatoes – Use any type of tomatoes you prefer.

Olives – I used green olives here as it has a slightly salty, tangier and bitter taste than black olives. You could swap it with black or kalamata olives. 

Onion – Red onions are best for salads. However, you could use any onion you have on hand. 

Cucumber – English cucumber or Lebanese cucumber would be lovely. I used Lebanese cucumber. 

Herbs – Fresh Parsley and mint are wonderful together in a salad. 

Salad Dressing – freshly squeezed lemon juice is the best, or use lime juice instead. 

Try to use extra virgin olive oil for more flavor. If you prefer a spicier salad, add 2 teaspoons of harissa paste. 

Honey is healthy and best for sweetening salad dressing to balance the flavor. However, brown or regular sugar can be used alternatively.  

Please adjust the amount of salt according to your taste.

Possible Alternatives for the Salad

Here are some suggestions for alternative ingredients to use in your salads.

Adding Cheese – The following cheeses are great :

Feta cheese, Goat cheese, Fresh Mozzarella cheese and halloumi. 

Adding Protein – cooked prawns/ shrimp, grilled chicken, lamb or beef and deli meat. Plant-based proteins like Chickpea and tofu. 

Adding Veggies  – Add grilled or fresh veggies like carrots, zucchini, beans, rocket leaves, and kale. 

Adding Carbs – If couscous isn’t your preference, you could use ditalini, orzo, quinoa, bulgur wheat, or wild rice as excellent alternatives.

Adding Nuts or Dried Fruits – cashews, almonds, pistachios, pinenuts, dried cranberries, raisins, sultanas, and currents are great additions to this salad.