This EASY and fresh couscous salad is so easy and tasty, and it goes with just about everything. You can serve it with fish, chicken, beef, lamb, or pork, or you can serve it as a meat-free and light main dish.
Couscous Salad
It’s so tasty, made with lots of fresh herbs, lemon, radishes, raisins and almonds. Serve it with fish, chicken, beef, lamb, or pork, or you can serve a larger portion and keep it as a light, vegetarian main dish by swapping the chicken broth for vegetable broth. You might also like this lemon-asparagus couscous salad or this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad.
Hello, I’m excited to guest post here on Skinnytaste again (thank you, Gina!), and I’m also excited to invite you to my FREE 31-day Master the Weight Loss Mindset Challenge. If you struggle with weight anxiety, emotional eating, or body image issues of any sort, this free challenge is definitely for you. Click HERE to sign up!
During my college years at the University of Maryland, my sister Cyndi and I waited tables at a restaurant in Bethesda, Maryland, called Houston’s. Everything they served was seriously addictive, but this couscous recipe is the one dish that Cyndi and I still make at home … over 20 years later!
What is couscous?
Couscous is a pasta, not a grain, despite popular belief.
It has a rice-like appearance but is actually made of semolina and wheat flour that is steamed. It’s prepared in a matter of minutes unlike pearl couscous which is larger in size. Whole wheat couscous is more nutritious than the regular variety. Lundberg also makes a brown rice gluten free couscous.
Where to find couscous
Couscous is widely available, you can find couscous in the pasta section, rice section, or often the “international foods” area of your grocery store.
How to make this low-carb
For a low-carb alternative, you can use raw cauliflower in place of couscous. To do so, place cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse a few times. Mix with the remaining ingredients and serve.
Is this a salad or side dish?
Sort of both! Houston’s served it as a side dish, but I eat it as a salad for leftover sometimes. It’s room temperature when you make it, bur leftovers can be eaten cold. This will keep for several days, so it’s also great to make ahead for a few days (will it keep) Yes, it keeps for sure! It is good warm and cold.
More Salad Recipes I Love:
- Strawberry and Gorgonzola Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
- Cobb Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- Southwestern Black Bean, Quinoa and Mango Salad
- Chopped Wedge Salad
- Houston’s Grilled Chicken Kale Salad with Peanut Vinaigrette
Houston's Couscous
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup dry whole wheat couscous, Lundberg brown rice couscous for GF
- ¾ cup roughly chopped radishes
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- ½ cup raisins
- 12 grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring chicken broth to a simmer.
- Add the couscous and cook gently until the broth is absorbed, approximately 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and transfer to large bowl.
- To the bowl, add the radishes, scallions, parsley, raisins, tomatoes, almonds, mint, lemon juice and olive oil and toss to coat.
- Season with salt and pepper, gently toss again, taste and adjust the flavorings and seasonings as desired, and serve.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Notes
Nutrition
