Description
Tender pearl couscous tossed with grape tomatoes, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, red onion, cucumber, and fresh basil in a bright, garlicky lemon dill vinaigrette, finished with creamy baby mozzarella or feta. A hearty, vibrant, and deeply satisfying Mediterranean salad ready in 25 minutes.
Ingredients
For the Lemon Dill Dressing:
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
- 1–2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Salad:
- 2 cups pearl couscous
- Extra virgin olive oil, for toasting
- Water, for cooking
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- ⅓ cup red onion, finely chopped
- ½ English cucumber, finely chopped
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
- ½ cup kalamata olives, pitted
- 15–20 fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
- 3 oz baby mozzarella or feta cheese, optional
Instructions
- Make the lemon dill dressing. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, dill, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until fully combined and emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.
- Cook the pearl couscous. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the dry couscous and toast for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and nutty-smelling. Add water according to package directions and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 8–10 minutes until tender and the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and spread on a baking sheet to cool completely.
- While the couscous cools, prepare all the salad components — halve the tomatoes, chop the cucumber and red onion, drain the chickpeas and artichoke hearts, and tear the basil.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled couscous, grape tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, and torn basil.
- Pour the lemon dill dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly until everything is evenly coated.
- Add the baby mozzarella or crumbled feta and fold in gently. Taste and adjust seasoning with extra salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 30 minutes for deeper flavor. Garnish with extra fresh basil before serving.
Notes
- Toasting the pearl couscous in olive oil before adding the water is the single most important step for flavor — it develops a nutty, golden depth that plain boiled couscous completely lacks.
- Cool the couscous completely before adding the dressing — warm couscous absorbs all the dressing immediately and the finished salad ends up under-dressed and dry by the time it reaches the table.
- This salad tastes even better after 30 minutes of resting as the couscous absorbs the lemon dill dressing and the flavors meld together beautifully.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins