Cucumber Lemon Couscous Salad (Printable)

Tender couscous tossed with cucumber, lemon, herbs and a bright honey-olive oil dressing. Ready in 25 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup couscous
02 - 1 cup water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 large cucumber, diced
05 - 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
07 - 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

→ Dressing

08 - Juice of 1 large lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
09 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
10 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
11 - 1 clove garlic, minced
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Optional Additions

13 - 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
14 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, stir in the couscous, cover tightly, and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled couscous, diced cucumber, chopped red onion, parsley, and mint. Toss gently to distribute evenly.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, honey or maple syrup, minced garlic, and black pepper until well emulsified.
04 - Pour the dressing over the couscous mixture and toss thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Gently fold in the cherry tomatoes and crumbled feta cheese if desired.
06 - Serve chilled or at room temperature. The salad can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours before serving to allow flavors to meld.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The couscous cooks off the heat so your kitchen stays delightfully cool even on the hottest days.
  • That lemon and honey dressing clings to every tiny grain and makes each bite feel like sunshine on a plate.
  • It travels beautifully to picnics and potlucks without wilting or getting soggy like leafy salads tend to do.
02 -
  • Do not let the couscous sit in the dressing for more than a few hours before serving or it will swell and become mushy.
  • Tossing the cucumber pieces with a pinch of salt and letting them drain for ten minutes prevents the salad from becoming watery.
03 -
  • Use a microplane to zest the lemon before juicing it and stir that zest into the dressing for double the lemon impact.
  • Let the dressed salad sit for ten minutes before eating because the couscous needs time to absorb the flavors properly.

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