Summer Couscous Salad

I have a bad habit of picking up beautiful beets and letting them languish in my fridge crisper drawer. So I’m atoning for that sin today with one of my favorite ways to celebrate the season ~ summer couscous salad! I turned my little bunch of 3 small beets into a gorgeous rose colored couscous. The rest of the veggies complete the color wheel and it’s a feast for all your senses.

Summer couscous salad works for lunch or a no-mayo side dish all summer long. We had it for dinner with some salmon and I was in heaven 🙂

summer couscous salad ingredient notes

My summer couscous salad is a fusion dish with elements of Mediterranean and Eastern European ingredients.

• couscous ~ there are 2 types of couscous you can use for this salad:
  • I use Moroccan couscous ~ the smallest and quickest to cook, light and fluffy.
  • Israeli (pearl) couscous ~ medium-sized, with a chewy, pasta-like bite.
• red beets ~ these are responsible for the rose color of the couscous salad. I use freshly cooked beets, (I haven’t tried this with ready-cooked packaged beets so I don’t know if they would release enough pigment to color the couscous.)
• veggies
  • Lebanese or baby cucumbers
  • red onion
  • corn (fresh corn and beets are an amazing pair, check out my summer beet and corn salad.
  • cherry tomatoes
• nuts ~ toasted walnuts add great crunch and flavor.
• feta cheese
• garbanzo beans

the lemony dill dressing

Dressing is key in any couscous salad because the couscous really soaks it in and takes on the flavors. Mine is loaded with fresh dill, olive oil and lemon juice, with just a hint of Dijon mustard and honey to emulsify it.

The acidity of the lemon and the bright flavor of dill really perk up the couscous and play well with the earthy beets.

fluffy couscous for salads

Couscous can turn gummy if not prepped right ~ but it’s actually one of the easiest grains to master. Here’s how I do it:

• Use 1:1 water-to-couscous ratio for light, fluffy texture. This gives a drier, lighter texture ~ ideal for salads which will be absorbing dressing later.
• Fluff with a fork, not a spoon!
• Let it cool completely before adding dressing to avoid a soggy texture.

how to make rose colored couscous

Basically you’re going to toss chopped beets into your steamed couscous. The color will permeate the couscous as you stir it all together. And no, this doesn’t make the couscous taste like beets, it just adds the pretty color. The actual beets in this summer couscous salad will provide the flavor.

1. First peel your beets and cut in half or quarters if large. Mine were small so I left them whole.
2. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook until tender but still firm.
3. Chop the cooked beets into bite sized pieces.
4. Bring water for couscous to a simmer and add couscous ~ cover and remove from the heat.
5. Let sit for 5 minutes.
6. Fluff the hot couscous, stirring together with the beets. The color will deepen as you stir.

what’s not to love?

The color, of course! But this show-stopping summer couscous salad has so many great things going on, and if I had to pick just one standout, it would be the amazing range of textures. You’ve got the fluffy couscous, tender, earthy bites of beet and chickpea, juicy crunch from fresh corn, onions, and cucumbers, the toasty snap of walnuts, and that creamy, salty pop of feta to top it all off. It’s a summer salad you can really sink your teeth into!

couscous salad variations

FOR A GLUTEN FREE SALAD use quinoa instead of couscous.

MAKE YOUR SUMMER COUSCOUS SALAD VEGAN by leaving out the feta cheese and maybe subbing in a ripe chopped avocado.

DON’T CARE FOR DILL? Try basil or mint.

USE TOASTED ALMONDS OR PISTACHIOS in place of walnuts.

MAKE YOUR SUMMER COUSCOUS SALAD A MEAL by adding grilled shrimp or chicken.

Summer Couscous Salad

5 from 1 vote

Beets turn this summer couscous salad a pretty pink ~ add chickpeas, crunchy veg, feta and walnuts for a gorgeous picnic-ready dish.

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Prep Time:25 minutes minutes

Total Time:25 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

• 10 ounce box plain couscous, or approx. 1 1/2 cups, I use Middle East brand
• 3 small to medium beets , cooked and peeled
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 ears corn, kernels removed
• 2 Lebanese or baby cucumbers, diced
• 1/3 small red onion, minced
• 15 ounce canned chickpeas, drained, well rinsed, and dried.
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and rough chopped**
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

lemon dill dressing

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
• 3 Tbsp fresh dill
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp honey
• pinch salt

Instructions

• Prepare your couscous.* You can follow the box instructions but I prefer a slightly drier couscous for salads, see note below.
• Chop the cooked beets into bite sized pieces and toss with a little olive oil.
• After the couscous has been steamed and fork-fluffed, add the chopped beats and toss well. Continue to toss until all of the couscous has taken on a pretty pink color. Transfer to a large serving bowl.
• Place the 2 ears corn kernels in a bowl and microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir and set aside to cool.
• Add the corn, the 2 diced Lebanese or baby cucumbers, 1/3 minced small red onion, 15 ounce canned chickpeas, and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the couscous
• Toss with enough dressing to moisten but not drench the salad. Add salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste. The salad can be served right away or chilled until you're ready. I add the 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese just before serving.

make the dressing

• I like to do this in a small food processor, but you can use a whisk: blend the 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice, dill, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp honey, and a pinch salt. Taste and adjust as you like.

Notes

*Recommended adjustment for salad:

• Use slightly less liquid: About 1¾ cups liquid for 1½ cups dry couscous will yield a lighter, fluffier texture perfect for salads.
• Some box instructions suggest more water (like Near East), giving you a softer, moister result—fine as a side dish, but not ideal for salads.

**To toast walnuts:

• Lay out in a single layer on a plate and microwave on high for 2 minutes. 
• Let cool before chopping.

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Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: beets, couscous, easter, Mother’s Day, pasta, salad, summer

Nutrition

Calories: 384 kcal · Carbohydrates: 44 g · Protein: 11 g · Fat: 19 g · Saturated Fat: 3 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 9 g · Trans Fat: 0.001 g · Cholesterol: 8 mg · Sodium: 267 mg · Potassium: 364 mg · Fiber: 6 g · Sugar: 4 g · Vitamin A: 171 IU · Vitamin C: 8 mg · Calcium: 95 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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