This Vegan couscous salad is fresh, crunchy and loaded with flavor in every bite. Crispy veggies, tender couscous, fresh herbs and protein packed chickpeas, all tossed in a bright dressing. The perfect salad for a picnic, potluck, or a healthy packed lunch, this easy couscous salad is a real crowd-pleaser.
This easy vegan couscous salad recipe can be served as a light lunch or dinner, or as a side dish for any meal. The addition of chickpeas to this salad will add protein, fiber, texture and flavor. Serve it alongside other salads like this Chickpea Orzo Salad or this Mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad.
The cold couscous salad is colorful, refreshing and easy to customise with seasonal veggies. The perfect dish for either weekday lunches, summer barbecues and meal prep. It tastes even better after chilling in the fridge to bring out all the flavors, so it is an excellent meal prep for busy week days, just like this Curried couscous salad.
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Ingredients
To make this couscous chickpea salad, all that’s needed are just a few simple ingredients listed below. For the full recipe with the quantities, see the recipe card below.
Couscous
- Couscous (uncooked), regular couscous made from semolina wheat. It is great for salads and cooks quickly.
- Vegetable broth or water, I highly recommend using vegetable broth because it will add more flavor to the couscous salad.
Salad
- Chickpeas, this recipe uses canned chickpeas for added protein. You can also boil your own chickpeas, follow the packet instructions and let them cool down to room temperature before adding to this couscous salad with chickpeas.
- Red onion, ads a wonderful crunch and bite to this salad. Spring onions or shallots are another great option or this pickled red onions.
- Red bell pepper, but any colour of pepper works here, I have make this salad with both green and yellow bell pepper.
- Seedless cucumber, chopped (also know as English or Persian cucumber)
- Cherry tomatoes, cut in half.
- Parsley, fresh herbs ads freshness and lots of flavor.
Dressing
- Olive oil, a good quality extra virgin olive oil tastes great in this dressing.
- Red wine vinegar, tastes great in the dressing.
- Garlic, gives this dressing a punch of flavour.
- Maple syrup, to balance out the acid from the lemon juice.
- Dijon mustard, just a little adds a lot of flavor.
- Spices, sea salt, ground black pepper and Italian seasoning mix or oregano.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Making this vegetable couscous salad is fast and easy. Follow the step by step photos below.
For the full instructions see the recipe card at the bottom.
- Step 1: In a sauce pan, bring the vegetable broth or water to a boil. Add the uncooked couscous, stir well, remove from the heat, cover and let the couscous sit until the water is absorbed. Fluff the couscous with a fork and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Step 2: Stir together the ingredients for the dressing in a salad bowl.
- Step 3: Add the chickpeas and red onion to the dressing. Stir well and let marinade while the couscous cooks and you chop the rest of the veggies.
- Step 4: When the couscous is cooled to room temperature, add it to the bowl with the dressing, chickpeas and red onion. Toss to coat with the dressing.
Step 5: Add the chopped vegetables and herbs.
Step 6: Gently toss everything together. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Hint: Let this vegetarian couscous salad sit for about 30 minutes to bring out all the flavors before serving if you have time.
Substitutions
- Spicy – Spice it up by adding a little red chill flakes, sliced fresh chili or jalapeño.
- Beans – Instead of chickpeas, other canned beans like black beans or kidney beans are a good option. To make a lentil couscous salad, replace the chickpeas with canned lentils.
- Couscous – There are different kinds of couscous, use your favourite. Whole wheat or gluten-free couscous are great option. The larger pearl couscous (Israeli couscous) can also be used to make a vegan pearl couscous salad. Follow the package instructions for cooking.
- Onion – The red onion ads a nice crunch and bite to this couscous salad. It can also be replaced with copped spring onions or shallots.
- Herbs – This salad has chopped fresh parsley which ads a lot of flavor and freshness to the dish. Instead of chopped fresh herbs, frozen can also be used. Or use a mix or herbs like dill, cilantro or basil, or just one of them if you prefer.
- Grains – Instead of the couscous, substitute with some cooked rice, farro, barley or quinoa, like this Quinoa chickpea salad.
Ingredient Variations
This couscous salad is really versatile and you can you can easily customise it to your liking. Use veggies that are in season, or what you already have in your fridge. Each variation adds a different texture and flavor, find your favourite:
- Artichoke hearts, cut in half or quarters.
- Sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained and sliced. Hint, keep the oil and add it to the dressing instead of the olive oil.
- Avocado, chopped or sliced.
- Olives, add your favour to make a mediterranean couscous salad.
- Greens, like baby spinach or arugula.
- Vegan feta cheese, or other cheese of choice.
- Nuts, tossed and chopped nuts like almonds, pistachios or walnuts. Pine nuts also tastes great!
- Corn, add some fresh grilled corn, frozen or canned for a delicious summer flavor.
- Seeds, like pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
- Dried fruit, cranberries, raisins or chopped apricots.
Storage
Store the leftover couscous salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The couscous will soak up some of the liquid from the dressing when being stored. If needed, add an extra drizzle of olive oil before serving.
I do not recommend freezing this salad since the fresh vegetables lose their crisp texture once thawed.
Pro Tips for the Best Couscous Salad
- After cooking the couscous, let it cool down before adding to the salad. The heat from the couscous can otherwise soften the crunch from the vegetables.
- Using fresh herbs, like chopped parsley, will add a lot of flavor to the salad. Use other fresh herbs as well, what ever you prefer.
- Let the onion and chickpeas marinade in the dressing while preparing the rest of the ingredients. This will soften the sharpness of the red onion, and add a lot of flavor to the chickpeas.
- After the salad is made, a good option is to refrigerate the salad for 30 minutes before serving. This gives the dressing time to soak into the couscous, and allows the flavors to develop.
- Taste the salad before serving and season with more salt and pepper if desired. For extra brightness, add a squeeze of lemon or drizzle of extra virgin olive oil just before serving.
FAQ
Couscous is a tiny pasta made from semolina wheat and water. Originating in North Africa, but couscous has now become a staple throughout Mediterranean cuisine. It is super fast and easy to cook, only add boiling water or vegetable broth for extra flavor.
Yes, plain couscous is vegan. It is made from semolina wheat and water. Always check the package, and be carful with boxed couscous mixes with flavors, since they are normally not vegan.
No, couscous is made from semolina wheat that contains gluten. For a gluten free salad, use a certified gluten free couscous.
More Salad Recipes
Chickpea salads
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This Vegan couscous salad is fresh, crunchy and loaded with flavor in every bite. Crispy veggies, tender couscous, fresh herbs, protein packed chickpeas, all tossed in a bright dressing. The perfect salad for a picnic, potluck, or a healthy packed lunch, this easy couscous salad is a real crowd-pleaser.
- 1 cup couscous, uncooked
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water
- 1 14 oz /400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ red onion, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ seedless cucumber, chopped
- 1 yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley or basil, chopped
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning mix or oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
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In a sauce pan, bring the vegetable broth or water to a boil. Add the uncooked couscous, stir well, remove from the heat, cover and let the couscous sit for about 7-10 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff the couscous with a fork and set aside to cool to room temperature.
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In a salad bowl, stir together the ingredients for the dressing. Add the chickpeas and red onion to marinade while the couscous cooks and you chop the rest of the veggies.
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When the couscous is cooled to room temperature, add it to the bowl with the dressing, chickpeas and red onion. Toss to coat with the dressing.
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Add the chopped vegetables and herbs and gently toss to combine. Season with more salt and pepper to taste and an extra drizzle of olive oil if desired.
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