Receta Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Mediterranean Couscous Salad
On Monday, we shared the dessert we served at our Summer Outdoor Dinner Party, Deep Dish Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies. Today, we are sharing the Mediterranean Couscous Salad recipe from our party menu.
We served a green salad and watermelon salad, but I wanted to serve a heartier salad too. I went with couscous because it is so easy to make. If you can boil water, you can make couscous:) We had a lot going on with all of the party prep, so a simple salad was just what we needed.
We used World Market’s Tri-Color Couscous to make the salad, which is made with coarsely ground semolina, spinach, and tomatoes. Regular couscous will work too, but I love the Mediterranean blend and the pop of color from the Tri-Color Couscous.
We added grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, and artichoke hearts to the couscous. I whisked together a light lemon dressing and tossed the salad. That’s it! Easy as can be! I made the salad the morning of the party and kept it in the fridge until it was time to eat. I love a salad that can be made in advance, especially when entertaining.
I didn’t add feta to the salad because we already had a Watermelon, Feta, & Mint Salad on the menu. I didn’t want to have a feta overkill, but if you are a feta fan, feel free to add it to this salad. It would be tasty!
Everyone loved our Mediterranean Couscous Salad and we hope you love it too! It’s a great salad for summer! And if you are looking for a salad to make for the 4th of July, give this salad a try! It serves a crowd, can be made in advance, and everyone came back for seconds!
Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Yield: Serves 12-14
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
A simple couscous salad with tomatoes, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, basil, and a light lemon dressing.
Ingredients:
- 1 (16 oz.) package couscous (we used World Market's Tri-Color Couscous)
- 2 cups halved grape tomatoes
- 2 cups jarred artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups chopped kalamata olives, pits removed
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Juice of 2 large lemons
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Make couscous according to package instructions. Transfer couscous to a large bowl and fluff with a fork. Add the tomatoes, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, and basil.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, and basil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour the dressing over the couscous salad and stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve.
Note-this recipe makes a large salad. You can cut the recipe in half if you need to. This salad can be made in advance and will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.