Feta Couscous Salad tossed in the most delicious vibrant green dressing! And more specifically a fresh spring feta couscous salad recipe that’s simple to make and loaded with so many (soo soo many) delicious flavors that come together to make one of the most refreshing side salads i’ve ever tasted. Like most of the salads you see on the blog, this one also happens to have lots of toppings and um.. zero leafy greens like spinach, romaine, or iceberg lettuce. It’s also the perfect side dish or main salad to serve with grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp. You can also add in a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas and back it full of protein and fiber without having to use actual meat. Color. Texture. Crunch. Sweet. Savory. It’s a tall order but this salad has all of that. All stuffed into one dynamite salad recipe. The crunch from the chopped walnuts. The saltiness/richness from feta cheese. The springtime goodness of flash blanched peas, and nuttiness from couscous all tossed together in the most refreshing fresh basil vinaigrette.
Ingredients for Feta Couscous Salad
Uncooked couscous: we’ll use uncooked couscous for this recipe and then fluff it with a fork once it’s had a chance to soak up some warm liquid. You could also use whole wheat couscous or pearl couscous for this recipe, however, the cooking directions for the couscous portion will be different than what’s listed in the recipe.Frozen peas: I like to blanch the peas in hot water quickly and then dunk them in an ice water bath so that they maintain their vibrant green color. Of course, you can simply drain the peas and use them in the salad, but I do find blanching them first makes the salad bowltaste so much better!Fresh herbs: I keep the herbs pretty simple with just a handful of parsley in the salad and of course lots of basil in the dressing. You can also add it chopped mint, dill, or oregano and cut back on the parsley a tiny bit to give the salad a bit more dimension and bump up the herby flavor! Totally your call – toss in whatever you like!Feta Cheese: I like to use feta cheese for this recipe because the briny feta plays so well with the natural sweetness of peas and the basil vinaigrette. If you happen to have goat cheese on hand, you can also us that but I do suggest adding a briny element to the salad, such as, Kalamata olives so that you end up with a similar taste.Walnuts or pecans: You can even use chopped almonds or pine nuts if you prefer those in your salad recipes.Fresh basil: Is the heart and soul of the basil vinaigrette. Just combine salt, pepper, and all the other ingredients for the vinaigrette in a blend and blend until it’s smooth.Olive Oil: I like to use extra virgin olive oil for this recipe as we’re using the oil in the dressing and it won’t be going through any sort of cooking process. Feel free to use any olive oil that you typically use for salad dressings.Shallot: you can also use a minced red onion but I do find that the shallot provides a better flavor to the salad.Minced Garlic: adds a bit of flavor to end dressing. Feel free to use lemon zest or any other ingredients you typically like for your vinaigrette.Honey: honey adds sweetness, maple syrup or even some agave would achieve a similar result.White wine vinegar: I prefer to use a milder acid like white wine vinegar for the dressing, but red wine vinegar or even lemon juice would work here – though if you use lemon juice, you can’t really call it a vinaigrette 😉Red pepper flakes: add just a tiny punch of heat to the dressing.Kosher salt and black pepper: pretty typical vinaigrette ingredients!
Instructions for Mediterranean Couscous Salad Recipe:
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Marinated Feta Greek SaladGrilled Zucchini Salad with Corn and Red Bell PeppersSummer Panzanella with Grape TomatoesBright Cucumber Chickpea Salad with FetaMediterranean Pasta Salad
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