Couscous Tabbouleh Salad Recipe (Quick + Vegetarian)
Couscous Tabbouleh is the perfect side dish that’s full of fresh herbs and flavor. It’s great for summer because it’s delicious cold, it’s healthy, travels well and requires very little cooking! It’s a great addition to picnics, potlucks and bbqs and adds flavor to so many dishes!
Many traditional tabbouleh recipes will call for bulgur wheat instead of couscous, but I really like this swap! This couscous tabbouleh recipe features lots of parsley just like a traditional recipe but also cilantro and fresh mint for even more flavor. This recipe also calls for tomato and cucumber and it’s all tied together with lemon dressing for a zippy fresh salad you will love! Let’s make it!
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I love recipes like this that remind us how easy it can be to eat really good food. This recipe is so simple, yet its definitely a fun break from your typical side salad. It can elevate almost any mediterranean or middle east-inspired dish and it’s super easy. I guess couscous might not be an every day ingredient to some people, but it’s easy to find at almost any grocery store! It’s usually in the pasta aisle. Because it’s actually technically a pasta! I find it easier to cook couscous, especially the moroccan couscous we use in this recipe, it cooks so quickly and is basically impossible to mess up. You can also use Israeli couscous or pearl couscous but those take longer to cook and are larger so the texture will be different.
Ingredients
What you need to make couscous tabbouleh
- Dry couscous – I used moroccan style couscous which is a very small grain compared to Israeli or pearl couscous. Trader Joe’s used to sell a whole wheat couscous but I haven’t seen it lately, but if you can find it, that’ll work too!
- Fresh parsley – parsley is the most prominent herb/flavor in tabbouleh and we will use a lot of it!
- Mint – mint adds a great freshness and more depth of flavor
- Cilantro – cilantro also adds extra layers of flavor that really give that mediterranean flair for me.
- Lemon juice
- Garlic – just a touch for flavor and you’ll want to grate it on a small grate or microplane
- Tomato – I like to use cherry tomatoes since they usually have the best flavor but any type of tomato will work.
- Cucumber
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Avocado oil – you can use olive oil but I recommend using one with as neutral a flavor as possible or at least a flavor that you enjoy, olive oil can have a strong flavor that overpowers salad. This is why I usually reach for avocado oil when making salad dressings
What is couscous?
Couscous is a traditional North African dish made from tiny steamed balls of semolina, which is a type of wheat. It’s a staple food in countries like Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, but it’s also enjoyed in other parts of the world.
It has a similar mouth-feel to rice and is a great starch to pair with veggies and protein for a well-rounded meal.
How to make couscous tabbouleh
Make the couscous first, so it can cool while you chop all the veggies and herbs. Boil water with drizzle of oil (I use avocado oil because the flavor of olive oil is just too over powering sometimes) then add the couscous. Stir, remove from heat and set aside. This is usually what your package directions should say.
Chop the parsley, cilantro, mint, cucumber and tomatoes. You’ll want to chop the tomatoes and cucumber as small as you can. This is almost like salsa in the sense that you want everything to be somewhat comparable in size and since the couscous is quite small you want everything else comparable (not exactly!) It’s just best for uniformity and flavor if everything is chopped small!
Once the couscous is ready, combine everything in a medium bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. It’s ideal if you can let the tabbouleh rest for about 15 minutes before serving for the best flavor.
To store cover with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. Couscous tabbouleh is best enjoyed within 3-4 days.
This can be served cold or room temperature.
What to serve it with
This grain salad is great on its own as a light snack but it pairs great with almost any protein–especially grilled fish, chicken and basically anything mediterranean. It’s a great for picnics and bbqs!
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More tasty salad recipes
Couscous Tabbouleh
Couscous Tabbouleh is the perfect side dish that’s full of fresh herbs and flavor. It’s great for summer because it’s delicious cold, it’s healthy and requires very little cooking!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 5
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Category: side
- Cuisine: mediterranean, middle eastern
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup moroccan couscous, dry (about 1 & 3/4 cup once cooked)
- 3 cups fresh parsley
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 tbsp fresh mint
- 1/2 cup diced tomato
- 3/4 cup diced cucumber
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/2 fresh garlic clove or 1 very small clove, grated on a microplane
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Add 1/2 cup water and a drizzle of oil to a small pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add couscous, stir, cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Prep the veggies and herbs while the couscous cooks.
- Once the couscous is ready combine with herbs, tomato, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3 days or enjoy immediately.
Looking for more yummy sides and appetizer recipes?
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