Name: Israeli Couscous Salad with Feta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 cup pearl couscous, bulgur, faro or other grain you like; Sea salt; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 1 small garlic clove (grated or finely chopped); 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili (or to taste); ¼ teaspoon ground cumin; ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 pint cherry tomatoes (quartered); 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion; 3 green onions (thinly sliced); 1 teaspoon chopped jalapeño or serrano chili; 2 or 3 Persian cucumbers (thinly sliced); 1/4 cup each fresh cilantro. parsley and mint leaves (torn if large); 4 ounces feta cheese (crumbled)

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A fresh, healthy Israeli couscous salad with feta, tomatoes and cucumber. This tasty salad is perfect for lunch or an easy dinner.

A white wood salad bowl and spoon for serving Mediterranean salad with cucumber, tomato, herbs, red onion, feta and Israeli couscous.

Here you go! A summery Mediterranean tomato, cucumber and couscous salad.

This gorgeous salad never fails to disappear every time I make it.

The salad has that magically delicious combo of crunchy, vibrantly-colored veggies, green herby-ness and tender couscous pearls, all mixed with a punchy lemon-garlic dressing.

Yum!!

This is one of those recipes you’ll want to make on repeat, all year round.

When is the right time to make a couscous salad?

I’m so glad you asked!

While just about any chopped tomato, cucumber and red onion salad will have you dreaming of summer days, this particular one will fit into your daily routine no matter the weather situation:

Pack into a container and take to work or the beach (very highly recommend the latter).
On the backyard picnic table to eat al fresco (YES).
For dinner, at the end of a long, long day. (Thank you).

The inspiration for this delicious fresh salad came from a friend, a pottery artist from Tel Aviv.

She taught me a few things about what to do when you have people over. It goes something like this:

Arrange some chairs around a table, then open a bottle of wine — chilled rosé is perfect.
Put out some glasses, plates and napkins so everyone can help themselves.
Set a bowl on the table full of chopped tomatoes, cucumber, fresh herbs and some olive oil, with some fresh pita on the side.
Get busy talking and sipping. all while enjoying a delicious, no-fuss Mediterranean salad.

Ingredients on a white tray to make couscous salad - lemon, olive oil, couscous, feta cheese, spices.

What is Israeli couscous

Israeli couscous is a type of pasta made with durum wheat or semolina flour.

The pasta is shaped into small, pearl-size balls that are toasted and then dried.

Israeli couscous looks different from the more minuscule grains of Moroccan-style couscous that you may be familiar with.

Tunisian or Lebanese couscous, or mahjoub, is very much like Israeli-style couscous.

But, they’re totally interchangeable in this recipe.

As a matter of fact, if you don’t have any couscous in your pantry, try this salad recipe substituting bulger or farro.

Another option is to assemble the salad using cooked quinoa, millet or amaranth grains to make it gluten-free.

How to cook Israeli pearl couscous

Unlike instant couscous which can be soaked in hot water, Israeli couscous or pearl pasta cooks just like regular pasta, in a pot of boiling salted water.

Check the directions on your package, but count on cooking pearl couscous 10 -12 minutes.

Test and taste to be sure it’s nicely al dente, because you don’t want the grains to turn mushy.

Fresh produce for Israeli salad - vine cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green and red onions and garlic.

What to serve with Mediterranean Couscous Salad

This is basically a vegetarian tomato-cucumber salad with some cooked grain tossed in.

It’s great to serve all by itself, or with:

Fresh toasted pita bread
Chickpeas
As a side dish with simple baked lemon chicken.
Or this quick garlic butter shrimp!

More easy healthy salad recipes: