• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Green Valley Kitchen
  • Home
  • About
    • Meet Me
    • Disclosure
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

Israeli Couscous Salad with Summer Vegetables

September 3, 2014 by Geraldine 58 Comments

An easy, flavorful summer salad with a Mediterranean flair featuring Israeli couscous and chopped summer vegetables.

Israeli-Couscous-Salad-with-Summer-Vegetables-cu

This Israeli couscous salad with summer vegetables is an easy, flavorful dish with a mediterranean flair.

It has sweet cherry tomatoes, cool cucumbers, crunchy red peppers, salty feta and olives.  It’s tossed with a zesty red wine vinaigrette.

The salad comes together quickly – you prep the veggies as the Israeli couscous is cooking – and your dish is ready in about 20  minutes.

Israeli couscous – also called pearl couscous – is larger and chewier than regular couscous. In fact, Israeli couscous is really pasta.

It is a small, pearl shaped pasta that is toasted before cooking.  Toasting the couscous gives it a lovely nutty flavor.  I used Israeli couscous that I bought at Trader Joe’s.

Israeli Couscous Salad with Summer Vegetables

Tips for making this recipe:

  • I used to skip the step of toasting the couscous and that was a mistake.  By toasting the Israeli couscous, you give it a light nutty flavor that really enhances the recipe.
  • After toasting the couscous, you are going to be adding water to the pan – it will boil/bubble right away since the pan is hot.  Be careful because it may splash up and splashing hot water is not good.
  • Once you add the water to the pan, turn down the heat to low right away.  If you cook the couscous on medium or high heat, the couscous will end up being struck to the bottom of the pan.
  • This Israeli couscous salad with summer vegetables refrigerates really well.  Make a little extra so you can bring it to work for lunch the next day.
  • I like to soak the red onion in a little water before mincing.  This reduces the raw onion taste.  So slice off a piece of onion and add it to a small bowl of water before you start dicing your other vegetables.

Looking for more family favorite recipes that are easy to make?  Then try one of these:

  • Tomato, Cucumber, Avocado Salad – The number one reader favorite recipe on my site.
  • Orzo Salad with Asparagus and Spinach – Easy to make, packed with flavor and only uses one pot.
  • Ravioli with Asparagus and Walnuts – Readers love this recipe – quick, easy and tastes delicious.

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, come back and let me know by leaving a comment below!

Print

Israeli Couscous Salad with Summer Vegetables

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 15 reviews

An easy, zesty summer salad with a Mediterranean flair featuring Israeli couscous and chopped summer vegetables.

  • Author: Geraldine
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 12 mins
  • Total Time: 22 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Cuisine: mediterranean

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup of Israeli couscous
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1/2 veggie bouillon cube – roughly chopped up
  • 1/4 red bell pepper – finely diced
  • 1/2 cucumber – peeled and seeded – finely diced
  • 1 cup of cherry tomatoes – sliced in half
  • 2 tbs red onion – minced
  • 1 handful of parsley – minced
  • 10 olives – roughly chopped
  • 2 oz of feta – diced
  • 3 tbs olive oil plus 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tbs red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp honey – a small squeeze
  • 8 twists of black pepper from a pepper mill
  • A pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Heat a sauce pan over medium heat and add one tsp of olive oil. Once the oil is warm – about 30 seconds – add Israeli couscous and stir for a minute or two until Israeli couscous is slightly toasted.
  2. When couscous is toasted – add 1 cup of water and chopped up bouillon cube. Be careful, the pan is hot and the water will probably instantly come to a boil, pour carefully so it doesn’t splash up.
  3. Turn heat down to low and simmer couscous for the amount of time on package instructions.
  4. While couscous is cooking, dice red pepper and cucumber – you want the dice to be roughly the same size for both. Add to a large bowl.
  5. Next, slice cherry tomatoes in half and add to the other vegetables in the bowl.
  6. Mince parsley and red onion. Add to the vegetables in the bowl.
  7. Roughly chop olives and add to the bowl.
  8. Dice feta cheese and set a side.
  9. Whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, black pepper and salt together.
  10. When Israeli couscous is ready, add to a fine mesh sieve and rinse so that the couscous cools. Shake the fine mesh sieve thoroughly so that the couscous is fairly dry.
  11. Add Israeli couscous to the bowl of vegetables. Add the dressing and toss to combine.
  12. Add feta cheese to couscous and vegetables and toss gently to combine.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 (of 4)
  • Calories: 350
  • Sodium: 480mg
  • Fat: 13g
  • Saturated Fat: 3g
  • Carbohydrates: 42g
  • Fiber: 4g
  • Protein: 9g
  • Cholesterol: 5mg

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

 

Thanks for stopping by – hope you enjoy the recipe.  You can find me on instagram and pinterest too!

Filed Under: 30 minutes or less, Salad Tagged With: Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Feta, Israeli Couscous, Olives

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rebecca

    November 7, 2021 at 4:49 pm

    Salad was delicious! Loved how all the vegetables came together! This will definitely become one of my standard salads that I will always make! Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      November 8, 2021 at 7:50 am

      So glad you enjoyed it, Rebecca! Glad you are adding this to your standard salad list! Thanks for taking the time to let me know and leaving a 5 star rating!

      Reply
  2. Brianne

    August 23, 2021 at 9:58 am

    I love Israeli couscous and was looking for a nice summery recipe when I found this one. The dressing and ingredients are similar to another pasta salad that I make in the summer so I knew we’d love this. The texture of the Israeli couscous is so perfect with these ingredients and the dressing. I ended up cooking another cup of the couscous to add to it and will be doubling the amount next time. It’s almost addictive, my husband and I ate the whole batch for dinner.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      August 25, 2021 at 7:33 am

      Thanks for letting me know, Brianne! So glad you enjoyed it and a double batch is a great idea. Thanks for leaving a comment and rating – I appreciate hearing your thoughts on the recipe!

      Reply
  3. Erin

    July 12, 2020 at 6:09 pm

    I love this recipe! I like to add extra veggies depending on what I have on hand (carrots, asparagus, etc).

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      August 9, 2020 at 11:35 am

      So glad you enjoyed it, Erin! Thanks for leaving a comment and rating – I appreciate hearing from you!

      Reply
  4. Lisa

    July 8, 2020 at 5:46 am

    Delicious! Great summer salad without all the mayo! I added little extra red wine vinegar because I like the flavor.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      July 12, 2020 at 12:33 pm

      Hi Lisa – glad you enjoyed the salad! Thanks for leaving a comment and rating!

      Reply
  5. Martha Dodson

    June 21, 2020 at 10:58 am

    My spouse and I loved it so much I’m making another batch 2 days later. Thanks for easy delicious and nutritious recipe. Martha in GA

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      July 12, 2020 at 12:30 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  6. Mary E. Nemec

    May 29, 2020 at 7:15 am

    This is absolutely delicious! Toasting the couscous really made a difference – never did that before! So glad I made extra! Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      May 31, 2020 at 5:10 pm

      Hi Mary – Thanks so much for letting me know! Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for leaving a star rating!

      Reply
  7. Ashley

    January 8, 2020 at 5:00 pm

    This is my favorite salad recipe, so simple to make but so delicious!!! Once I make it I snack off it for days. I’ve been making this for years and finally had to comment. 😊

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      January 12, 2020 at 4:53 pm

      So glad you enjoy this salad so much, Ashely! Thanks so much for letting me know – I appreciate hearing from you and thanks for leaving a rating as well.

      Reply
  8. Mary Raven

    September 23, 2019 at 3:17 pm

    I was at a loss as to what to make for dinner tonight. I also had so many baby tomatoes in all colours from my tomato plants. I was thrilled to use up some in this super quick & easy & delicious salad. I did not change a thing except I had the knorr homestyle stock which is liquid. It turned out great. Even my very fussy mother who hates tomatoes liked it. I paired it with lamb chops & the family enjoyed it. Thanks Geraldine.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      September 24, 2019 at 7:52 am

      Hi Mary – thanks so much for letting me know how much you and your family enjoyed this recipe. Love that you were able to use up some of those baby tomatoes! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and rating – I appreciate hearing from you!

      Reply
  9. Adam Ben Moshe

    September 22, 2019 at 8:34 pm

    Hi! I’m from Israel and I want to fix you for that common mistake! These flakes are similar to cuscus but it’s actually “Petitim (“flakes” in Hebrew) it’s something between rice and pasta

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      September 24, 2019 at 7:51 am

      Thank you for letting me know, Adam! I appreciate the info. I’ll add the info to my recipe this weekend when I have a little spare time.

      Reply
  10. Angela Cowardin

    August 26, 2019 at 8:50 am

    I’m a huge fan of Israeli couscous and wanted to try a summertime recipe with it. I found this online and decided to give it a try. This was absolutely delicious and I will be making it over again and again and again. Highly recommend especially if people enjoy is really couscous as much as I do. Had rave reviews from my friends too.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      August 31, 2019 at 1:30 pm

      Thanks so much, Angela – so glad you enjoyed this and your friends liked it too. I really appreciate hearing from you and thanks for leaving a rating as well!

      Reply
  11. Rebecca Lopes

    July 10, 2019 at 2:52 pm

    Hi- I didn’t have any honey, so I switched it up and added the juice of a whole lemon and 1 tbs more of extra virgin olive oil. Also not a fan of feta cheese so I used mozzarella and the salad turned out great! I had tri color Israeli couscous and it was beautiful!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      July 13, 2019 at 11:33 am

      Hi Rebecca – thanks so much for letting me know. Mozzarella is a great idea. Glad you enjoyed it – and thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating – I really appreciate hearing from you!

      Reply
  12. Beth

    July 2, 2019 at 2:43 pm

    Hi. This recipe is delicious! Definitely in the rotation for pot lucks and BBQs. Husband loved it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      July 8, 2019 at 5:45 am

      Thanks so much for letting me know, Beth. So glad your husband enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and rating – I really love to hear from readers when they enjoyed a recipe!

      Reply
  13. Trish Atama

    May 10, 2019 at 1:35 pm

    Love this recipe.. so yummy.. I get heaps of comments from people and it’s so easy to make.
    Thanks heaps

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      May 19, 2019 at 4:53 pm

      So glad you and your friends have enjoyed it, Trish. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a message and a rating – I really appreciate hearing from you!

      Reply
  14. Josie

    March 21, 2019 at 6:21 pm

    Making this weekend with roasted bell peppers instead of fresh so see how we go !

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      March 23, 2019 at 9:16 am

      Hope you like it, Josie!

      Reply
  15. Petra H.

    August 15, 2018 at 3:44 pm

    Made this with extra fresh herbs and summer veggies – fresh brined feta. To die for!!! I like the idea of dried cherries in this although I am serving it tonight along side fresh corn on the cob and Colorado peaches.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      August 19, 2018 at 12:37 pm

      Hi Petra – sorry for the late reply – so glad you enjoyed this recipe! It’s one of my favorite. The idea of dried cherries is very intriguing – will need to try that. Thanks for leaving a comment!

      Reply
  16. Lauren Flier

    July 13, 2018 at 9:26 am

    The first time I made this, I was searching for a recipe to use the tricolor couscous I had in my pantry. I found this recipe and although I did not have pearl couscous, I decided to try it anyway. I loved it to death. I did not change anything else about the recipe at all except for using tricolor couscous instead of pearl. I loved it so much that I made it a second time that same way. Last night I made it for a third time using pearl couscous this time. I still love it but I actually prefer the tricolor couscous instead even though the texture is completely different. I would make this a thousand times more but I think I will use the tricolor couscous from now on. So delicious! Thank you for this amazing recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      July 14, 2018 at 1:18 pm

      Hi Lauren – thanks so much for leaving such a great comment! So glad you enjoyed this recipe so much. I will have to look for tri-color couscous at the market and try that the next time I make this. I really appreciate you coming back to leave a rating and review – you made my day!

      Reply
  17. vivian

    April 23, 2018 at 3:04 pm

    This was a delicious main for me and a side for the meat eaters in my family alongside grilled salmon. I used more vegetables than the recipe called for, because ore vegetables in everyone’s tummies is always better. Next time I might add a little finely minced fresh mint too. Thanks for a great recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      April 24, 2018 at 6:44 am

      Thanks so much, Vivian. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for letting me know by leaving a comment and a rating – I appreciate hearing from you!

      Reply
  18. Sheila

    January 29, 2018 at 6:06 am

    This is an easy to eat salad. All the ingredients meld together deliciously.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      January 29, 2018 at 8:43 am

      Thanks so much! And thanks for leaving a rating – I appreciate it!

      Reply
  19. Sandra Croley

    July 24, 2017 at 10:29 am

    I came across your recipe just last month and I am making this salad for the third time. I love it! This batch will be to share at a potluck lunch tomorrow.

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      July 26, 2017 at 7:21 am

      Thanks so much for letting me know, Sandra – I love this salad too – it’s perfect for a potluck or get together with friends!

      Reply
  20. Lileith

    June 20, 2016 at 5:31 pm

    These are Awesome summer recipes
    Thanks .

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      June 21, 2016 at 7:08 am

      Thanks so much, Lileith!

      Reply
  21. Diana

    June 8, 2016 at 3:36 pm

    I made this today. I subbed a few things because it is what I had. I used real chicken broth instead of water and veggie bullion. I don’t like the taste of veggie boullion or broth. I used small shallot instead of red onion, and cilantro instead of parsley. It was addictingly delicious!

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      June 10, 2016 at 7:15 am

      Thanks, Diana – glad it worked out so well for you! I love the idea of cilantro – I’ll give that a try the next time I make it.

      Reply
  22. Lucy M.

    March 10, 2015 at 5:04 am

    Made this with whole wheat Israeli coucous and it was amazing!

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      March 10, 2015 at 7:30 am

      That’s great, Lucy! I’ll have to look for whole wheat Isreali couscous – I haven’t seen that in the markets – but it sounds like a great addition. Thanks for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed it – I appreciate it.

      Reply
  23. Hodayah

    February 11, 2015 at 1:16 am

    Hello,

    First i would like to say that the recipe is vey good and tasty, but i would like to correct you on two things.

    Coscos is made of semolina, what you are useing in the recipe is called PETITIM which is a kind of egg less pasta. Because it is similar in its shape to Coscos its ” nickname” is coscos.

    And if somtheing the recipe is medditeraninan. Because i have never seen something like this here- in Israel 🙂

    Any ways thanks for the great recipe 🙂
    Hodayah

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      February 11, 2015 at 8:26 am

      Hi Hodayah – Yes, this recipe is definitely mediterranean in flavor. Thanks for the info on Petitim – I’ve never heard of Petitim and had to look it up! Glad you enjoyed the salad. Have a great day.

      Reply
  24. sherry from sherryspickings

    September 21, 2014 at 8:02 pm

    this sounds like a great summer dish and as the weather is starting to heat up again, i will keep this recipe in mind. i do love cous cous.

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      September 21, 2014 at 8:18 pm

      Thanks, Sherry. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  25. Olivia

    September 8, 2014 at 4:38 pm

    It looks absolutely delicious!!!

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      September 8, 2014 at 5:15 pm

      Thanks, Olivia!

      Reply
      • Sheila

        September 10, 2014 at 2:47 pm

        Fabulous Geraldine, never had Israeli couscous before, it’s delicious, helped maybe by my feta which had dried cranberries in it.

        Reply
        • Geraldine

          September 10, 2014 at 7:31 pm

          I didn’t know you’d never had Israeli couscous before – how that happen? Like the picture you took of your salad 🙂

          Reply
  26. Julia | Orchard Street Kitchen

    September 5, 2014 at 7:28 am

    I love Israeli cous cous – I don’t think it gets as much attention as it deserves! This looks like a delicious and refreshing meal, and I love all the colorful veggies. I agree that it would be great for lunch!

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      September 5, 2014 at 9:44 am

      Thanks, Julia. I’m definitely adding this to the lunch rotation. Have a great day!

      Reply
  27. Crystal | Apples & Sparkle

    September 4, 2014 at 5:14 pm

    I could eat this everyday, year round. So good! : )

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      September 4, 2014 at 6:59 pm

      Hi Crystal – I agree – I sometimes forget about Israeli couscous and then when I eat it, I think, why don’t I make this more often :). Have a good one!

      Reply
  28. Traci | Vanilla And Bean

    September 4, 2014 at 9:10 am

    Geraldine, I am so excited to learn about Israeli couscous! I haven’t tried it… it just hasn’t been on my radar, but I love regular couscous, so this must be fantastic! Looking forward to toasting up some couscous and preparing this beautiful salad! Your photography is stunning! 😀 Thank you for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
    • Geraldine

      September 4, 2014 at 7:00 pm

      Hi Traci – go get yourself some Israeli couscous – it’s completely different from regular couscous but you’ll love it. Have a great night!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Archives

Subscribe

Never Miss A Recipe from Green Valley Kitchen!

Categories

Reader Favorites

  • Tomato-Cucumber-Avocado-Salad
  • Peach Feta and Pecan Salad
  • Wicker tray with bowl of whipped goat cheese, crackers, grapes and veggies and a blue handled knife.
  • Ravioli with asparagus and walnuts in a white bowl with a fork, napkin and glass of water.
  • Israeli Couscous Salad with Summer Vegetables
  • Pasta-with-Broccoli

Cookies Disclosure

NEXT PAGE→

Copyright © 2022 · Green Valley Kitchen