A 12 minute, no cook, giant Couscous Salad with sun dried tomato, feta, rocket (arugula), herbs and the nutty tastiness of chickpeas. My shortcut-flavour tip is to use the oil from the sun dried tomato jar as the dressing – free flavour!
A really quick Couscous Salad
This is a 12 minute meal. It’s also a no cook meal. Which means no matter how hot, how tired and how hangry you are (no typo there), or even if you’ve been cooking non stop all day since 7 am, up to your elbows in batter and pasta sauces (🙋🏻♀️), you can still muster up the energy for a seriously tasty bowl of deliciousness that requires minimal effort.
Of course, this is perfect to serve as a side as well. This would be ideal served with Western meals but especially Middle Eastern dishes such as:
But because it’s got pops of quite intense flavour thanks to the sun dried tomato and feta, it’s certainly worthy of being a meal.
Sun Dried Tomato Dressing
Speaking of sun dried tomato – this is your secret weapon for this Couscous Salad. Be sure to get the strips (to save yourself slippery oily chopping, yep, been there, done that) and be absolutely sure to get sun dried tomato in oil, not the dry vac packed version, because all that oil is infused with tasty sun dried tomato flavour and that’s what I use to dress the salad.
There is something very satisfying about tipping the entire jar of sun dried tomatoes, oil and all, over the salad. Draining oil is messy business!
I add chickpeas for texture and also nuttiness which means I don’t feel the need to throw in a handful of nuts, though that certainly wouldn’t hurt.
You’ll also be surprised how much rocket (arugula) is in this. It looks like a vast volume until you hack away at it – I like to chop it very roughly so it tosses through better.
It also means you can eat this with a spoon. In a bowl. On the couch. Never having to take your eyes off the TV as you scoop up mouthful after mouthful, binge watching Real Housewives, The Kardashians, Project Runway or other such highly intellectual show.
Every time they happen to be on when I turn the TV on, it’s like a train wreck and I can’t look away. And I can feel my brain cells popping with every passing minute… 🤣 – Nagi x
MORE SUMMER SALADS to take to gatherings
Pearl Couscous Salad <– personal fave!
Wild Rice Salad <– reader fave!
Browse all Pasta Salads and Rice Salad
Couscous Salad
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Couscous Salad with Sun Dried Tomato and Feta
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups dried couscous (Note 1)
- 1 1/4 cups / 315 ml boiled water
- 1 tsp vegetable stock powder (or 1 cube crumbled) (Note 2)
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1 tsp coriander powder (or cumin – I interchange)
- 400 g / 14 oz chickpeas (1 can) , drained
- 1/2 cup coriander , finely chopped
- 1/2 cup parsley , finely chopped (or mint)
- 1 red onion , chopped
- 220 g / 7 oz jar sun dried tomato strips in OIL (Note 3)
- 120 g / 4 oz rocket / arugula lettuce , chopped into 5 cm / 2″ pieces
- Zest of 1 large lemon
- 5 tbsp fresh lemon juice (2 large lemons)
- 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 60 g / 2 oz feta , crumbled
- Salt and pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Place chickpeas, couscous, vegetable stock powder, coriander and garlic in a large bowl. Pour over hot water, shake to level out couscous (chickpeas should mostly settle on top). Cover with plate or cling wrap, set aside for 5 minutes.
- Fluff couscous with fork. Cool a bit.
- Add coriander, parsley, onion, sun dried tomatoes (including all oil), rocket, lemon juice and black pepper. Sprinkle zest across surface. Toss well to combine.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer to serving bowl, sprinkle with feta. Serve.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally posted January 2018. Post updated for housekeeping matters, no change to recipe.
LIFE OF DOZER
When I leave and when I come home:
This was 5 star! I added some chilli flakes and toasted pine nuts. Absolutely amazing! So tasty, healthy, moreish, just divine. We has it with Beetroot, Tkzaiki, hummus and marinated chicken and it was soooooo delicious!!! Will def make again. So glad we have left overs for this week too. Highly recommend!
A very tasty salad to make, it took me more than 10 minutes, but not too much more. It’s still quick and simple.
I used it when I invited guests to lunch and it is really restaurant standard. Thank you!
Hi Nagi! I absolutely love this recipe. I’ve made it at least five times since discovering it this summer, and it’s always a hit. I also really appreciate how easy it is to scale up or down depending on how filling you want it.
My only small note-and it’s probably just me-is that there’s no way this takes only 15 minutes to prepare 😂 I thought it was because I’d never made it before, but even after several rounds, it still takes me closer to 30-40 minutes to chop and assemble (and worth it)
Gorgeous salad, very simple and very tasty. Served as a side for salmon and it was perfect
Gorgeous salad, very simple and very tasty. Served as a side for salmon and it was perfect
Just made this recipe as a side for Christmas. So tasty for the little effort that it took! Plus it makes a lot (enough for 5 or 6 if you only have 2-3 dishes, but enough for 10+ if you have lots of different dishes).
This recipe is the best 👌 I add roasted sweet potato to it. Adds another delicious dimension.
This recipe is genius, it’s so adaptable and manageable. I just made it with a mild fever and it took somewhat longer than 12 minutes but I made it and fed the kiddo.
You always create beautiful recipes and your page is the only one I go to for meal inspirations!
This recipe was perfectly delicious! (Unfortunately, I didn’t have chickpeas or feta, so I just bulked it up with toasted sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds).
Thank you for another amazing recipe! 💚
P.S. Hi Dozer!🧡
Cryptocurrency recovery expert review: Hire A Professional Hacker To Retrieve Lost Crypto Asset.
Hi Nagi, if we substitute couscous for quinoa, do we reduce the hot water?
I’m not gonna lie…I was very skeptical about making this salad. I thought it would have no flavor. Boy was I wrong. It is absolutely delicious. My hubby loved it too. I made a few slight changes but followed the recipe pretty close. The sun dried tomatoes and lemon juice make this salad have so much flavor. Definitely will be making this again and again!!
Thanks Nagi ♥️
This salad was definitely worth making. Divine. Followed the recipe and it was so easy. Will make again and again.
Hey Nagi, I adore your recipes. I made this and forgot the rocket. I subbed in some rainbow chard that I grew and froze. It was amazing. Thank you x
OPTIMISTIC HACKER GAIUS Team is Amazing
OPTIMISTIC HACKER GAIUS used cutting-edge blockchain tracing and digital forensics to assist me in recovering money that I had lost in a cryptocurrency scam. These fraudsters are impersonating investors. Through blockchain analysis, optimistichackergaius. c om located the scammer’s wallet, traced down the stolen money, and worked with exchanges to freeze and recover the assets. Their knowledge of cyber-recovery enabled me to get my money back.
This is truly the greatest salad ever. It’s a certified hit at every single party and everyone always asks for the recipe.
I alter the recipe slightly by doubling the herbs, using baby spinach instead of rocket, and mixing in a whole 250g block of feta.
Delicious, outstanding layers of different flavours. Thanks Nagi
This is delicious a huge hit with the family thank you 🙏
We love this meal, so tasty. Though be wary of the calories, when putting the ingredients into our calorie tracker it suggested calories were almost twice as many as expected. Mostly attributable to the oil in the tomato jar. Sadly not as healthy as we thought!
Trust Geeks Hack Expert is an expert in cryptocurrency recovery. We specialize in retrieving lost or inaccessible digital assets through advanced blockchain analytics and tailored recovery strategies. With a proven track record of success, we provide expert solutions to clients globally, ensuring the secure restoration of their valuable cryptocurrencies.
Book Trust Geek Hack Expert today and embark on a journey of unparalleled service and personalized care. Trust Geek Hack Expert – where exceptional meets extraordinary.