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Pearl couscous salad is one of the best and tastiest salads out here if you ask me. It looks absolutely beautiful, offers a great mix of textures and flavors, is filling, healthy, and the list goes on. This couscous salad recipe is especially perfect for the summer and outdoor dining but hey, it is just as great for all seasons! This Couscous salad will elevate your cookouts, complement party foods, or make for a great dish to bring to potlucks. You really should give it a try.

Pearl Couscous Salad Ingredients

Just like we did with the quinoa salad, you will need to prepare the vegetables and the dressing separately before combining them. Here are the ingredients for each.

Ingredients For the Salad

Pearl Couscous: There are many types of Couscous out there, so make sure to go for the right one for this recipe. Turns out this pearl Couscous is not really couscous anyway, but toasted pasta. On the other hand, real couscous is made from rolled semolina. Anyway, pick the right type for this recipe and you will need two cups of that. You will also need one tablespoon of vegetable oil, three cups of water, and half a teaspoon of salt to prepare the couscous as further explained in the steps below.

Cherry tomatoes: The magic ingredient for most salads, right? These sweet and juicy little tomatoes are a must-have for this recipe. Halve them to allow for better absorption of the dressing flavor and to make sure they blend into the salad well. About one cup of cherry tomatoes is enough for this salad.

Cucumber: Fresh cucumber will add that much-needed crunch to the salad, and its crisp taste will perfectly complement the rest of the ingredients giving you a wholesome couscous salad. Chop the cucumber up into cubes that match the sizes of the cherry tomatoes to keep your salad uniform and beautiful. One cup of chopped cucumber will do.

Fresh Herbs (Dill and Parsley): Fresh herbs do tremendous good to any salad, and this one is no exception. They add not just color to the salad but also aroma and flavor. I used fresh dill and parsley here, but you can go with other options that you like. Mint and basil, for instance, are among the popular herbs for this pearl couscous salad. Clean, prep, and chop the herbs finely as I demonstrate in the video below.

Golden raisins: These are truly my secret ingredient for the most perfect tasting Pearl couscous salad! The raisins add crunch and sweetness to the salad which elevates it to new heights. I am not exaggerating. You have to try the salad with and without the raisins to see what I am talking about. Also, I believe you can use other types of raisins other than golden. I just always go for the golden variety, so it is the only variety I can speak to.

Other ingredients you could add to the salad

Again, just like with our Quinoa salad, here is a list of ingredients that you could optionally include in your salad. Note that you do not have to add all these extra ingredients to the salad together. Rather, I recommend that you pick one or two that work for you and that you are sure could work well together.

Bell peppers: for additional sweetness and crunch to the salad. When I use bell peppers, I go for a mix of red and green because I love it when colors are popping. For this recipe, half a cup of chopped bell peppers would be enough.

Kalamata olives: Add a quarter cup of chopped Kalamata olives for a more sophisticated salad. Their meaty texture will be a nice complement to the other crunchy ingredients like cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and raisins.

Toasted nuts: Nuts are great for crunch as well as flavor. You could add sliced almonds, pine nuts or walnuts to this recipe if you love nuts. A quarter cup would be enough as the strong flavor of nuts can easily overpower other ingredients in the salad.

Feta cheese: If you are a cheesy person, you could add about a quarter cup of crumbled feta cheese into your Couscous salad for that additional creaminess, flavor, and nutrition.

Ingredients for the Dressing

Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for its robust flavor.

Lemon zest and juice: The zest of one lemon together with freshly squeezed lemon juice will do magic to the salad with regards to both aroma and flavor.

Garlic: Another must-have ingredient for the dressing to be complete. Crush or mince it well so that you do not chew on chunks of garlic in the salad.

Dijon mustard: This condiment boosts the overall flavor of the dressing by adding subtle sour and spicy flavors. You will need half a tablespoon of Dijon mustard for this recipe.

Sugar: Brings a perfect balance to the sour and salty tastes, rounding it all up so nicely. If you will be using raisins, use sugar sparingly as the raisins will provide additional sweetness.

Salt: Add salt to taste, bearing in mind the amount you used earlier to boil the Couscous.

Black pepper: Freshly cracked black pepper is so impactful in this couscous salad recipe. Also, don’t you just love how black pepper makes everything look better with its little black dots all over? I know I do.

Steps to Prepare Pearl Couscous Salad

#1. Toast the Couscous

Toasting is an optional step. I like to toast my couscous because I am convinced it tastes better that way (it comes from my college days when I used to toast spaghetti before cooking it. Maybe I am weird, I don’t know). However, you do not have to do this and if you choose not to, then you do not need the one tablespoon of vegetable oil that I mentioned in the list of ingredients. If you choose to toast your Couscous like me, heat the vegetable oil on medium-high heat and swirl the couscous continuously using a spatula for about 3 minutes or until it begins to brown just slightly.

#2. Boil the Couscous

Into the same pot you used to toast the couscous, add three cups of water and salt to taste. Cook on medium-low heat until all liquid is absorbed, and the couscous is thoroughly cooked. Do not rush this step or the liquid will dry up before the couscous is fully cooked, and it could also get mushy on the outside. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

#3. Prepare Your Veggies

While the couscous is boiling and/or cooling, prepare the veggies. Halve the cherry tomatoes, chop the cucumber, prep, and finely chop the fresh herbs. Also, prepare any additional ingredients you might be using.

#4. Make the Dressing

In a small bowl or jar, mix the dressing ingredients – olive oil, lemon zest and juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, sugar, and black pepper. Close the jar tightly with the lid and shake the mixture until well combined. If using a bowl, whisk everything together until well combined. This dressing comes out so beautiful and fragrant you will want to sip it. I wouldn’t judge you if you did. Just saying.

#5. Combine Everything

Once the pearl couscous has cooled, pour it into a large mixing bowl. Add in your chopped veggies, herbs, and any other ingredients you choose to add. Then, drizzle the dressing all over and mix thoroughly but gently using a spatula. I like to sprinkle the raisings after mixing the salad but that is just me. You can add the raisins with the other ingredients and mix them in too.

#6. Taste and Adjust

Taste your salad to determine if it needs a little more of any ingredient and make the necessary adjustments.

#7. Chill Your Salad (if needed)

They say that chilling this salad will result in the best flavors, but I am never that patient. Especially when the salad is this good. At the very least, I will scoop a few spoons as the rest goes into the fridge. Anyway, place your salad in the fridge and let it chill for about an hour for the flavors to mingle and make everything extra awesome.

#8. Serve Your Salad

Scoop it on a plate and top with a few more raisins if possible. I usually enjoy this beautiful and tasty pearl couscous salad as is but you can also serve it as a side dish.

How to Preserve Leftover Pearl Couscous Salad

Since the salad has raw vegetables in it, it loses freshness quite quickly. That said, you can preserve leftover pearl couscous salad for the next 24 to 48 hours and still enjoy it quite fresh.

Place leftover couscous salad in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. Only bring it out when ready to enjoy to ensure freshness.

I like to warm up my Pearl couscous salad in the microwave for a few seconds and it tastes so good. Still, you can devour it right from the fridge as a cold salad.

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