Description
An elegant summer salad featuring bright citrus, briny olives, and creamy feta over delicate couscous.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup fine couscous (or Israeli/pearl for a chewier bite)
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup crumbled feta
- 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, seeded and diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
- 1/3 cup red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
Instructions
- Prepare the couscous: bring the stock to a simmer, add a pinch of salt, then stir in the couscous. Cover and let rest 8–10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
- Fluff with a fork to separate the grains.
- Make the dressing: whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon, and minced garlic until emulsified.
- Combine the fluffed couscous and dressing in a large bowl and gently fold to coat.
- Add cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, olives, and most of the herbs and mix gently.
- Finish by folding in crumbled feta and toasted nuts, adjusting dressing for consistency.
Notes
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To preserve texture, keep dressing separate if you plan to store longer.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 20mg