Lemon Herb Couscous Salad, with cucumbers, raisins, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, fresh herbs, tossed in a light lemon dressing is an easy to make, tasty side dish!
I found this recipe for Lemon Herb Couscous Salad online a while ago, and on a whim, decided to make it! Whoa! This recipe uses Israeli Couscous (also called Pearl Couscous). It is different in shape and texture from traditional couscous. You can read about the differences here.
My husband and I loved this easy to prepare salad. We had it with dinner, then enjoyed the leftovers for days afterwards (recipe serves 8). We would both sneak into the refrigerator and grab a few bites for lunch or a quick snack. It’s SO GOOD!
The flavors in the lemon herb couscous salad seem to get better day by day, as the fresh herbs mingle. That’s great news, because this salad will keep for several days in the refrigerator, if covered well.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
How To Make Lemon Herb Couscous Salad
One of the things I find helpful is to prep the veggies and pecans before beginning. Once the veggies (English cucumber, tomatoes and fresh herbs) are chopped and diced, the recipe is easy peasy!
How To Toast The Pecans Or Walnuts For This Salad
The pecans (or walnuts, if using) are very easy to “toast” before adding to the lemon herb couscous salad. Simply place chopped nuts into a dry skillet.
Cook the pecans on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they become fragrant. This will take about 5-6 minutes. If you want to save time, you can cook the nuts while the couscous is cooking.
Pearl couscous (also known as Israeli couscous) is used in this recipe. To cook it, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add couscous; and then continue to cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Make The Salad Dressing
While the couscous is cooking, make the lemon dressing. Whisk the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.
The salad dressing contains olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, honey, salt and pepper. It is simple to make in about a minute, and has a very light, fresh taste!
Dress The Lemon Herb Couscous Salad
Once the couscous is finished cooking, drain it in a strainer. Immediately pour the warm couscous into a serving bowl, and pour the lemon salad dressing onto couscous.
The lemon herb couscous salad will absorb more of the salad dressing if combined while still warm. Stir, to fully combine the ingredients.
Put The Rest Of The Lemon Herb Couscous Salad Together
Once you have added the salad dressing, and mixed it in, it is time to add the other ingredients. Add diced tomatoes and English cucumber to bowl. Also add the toasted pecans, dried cranberries, raisins, and fresh chopped herbs.
The recipe for this lemon herb couscous salad calls for 1/2 cup of fresh chopped herbs. I used flat leaf parsley, basil (3-4 leaves), dill (2 Tablespoons) and 4 mint leaves.
You can use any combination of fresh herbs that you prefer, adding up to 1/2 cup total.
Once the lemon herb couscous salad is mixed together, it is ready to serve! I transferred the salad to a pretty bowl, and garnished it with a sprig of fresh dill.
Is This Salad Eaten Hot Or Cold?
This lemon herb couscous salad can be eaten warm OR cold! The first night we ate it at room temperature with our dinner. Excellent!
I refrigerated the leftovers and we ate it cold for lunch the next day! Guess what? It tastes GREAT both ways… warm or cold!
The leftovers last for a few days, if refrigerated, and the flavors get even better with time!
Time To EAT!
My husband and I absolutely LOVED this lemon herb couscous salad! We had it as a side dish to accompany our dinner of Pan-Seared Creole Salmon and garlic bread. It was fantastic!
The salad is full of flavor, with chewy raisins. dried cranberries, and crunch from the English cucumber and toasted pecans. Plus, the herb combination really makes this salad shine!
I hope you will consider making this Lemon Herb Couscous Salad for yourself! We really enjoyed it very much! If you enjoy it, too, be sure to check out my recipe for Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous and Asian-Inspired Couscous. They are so good!
Have a wonderful day. May it be full of hope, joy, encouragement and blessings!
Interested In More Side Salad Recipes?
Be sure to check out my Recipe Index at the top of each page, to find ALL my recipes and more salad dishes like this one. The list includes recipes for Southwest Quinoa Salad, Tuna Pasta Salad, Black Bean, Corn and Tomato Salad, 4-Bean Salad, and Broccoli Salad, to name a few!
Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!
I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.
Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks
Original Recipe Source: Adam and Joanne Gallagher at https://www.inspiredtaste.net/12689/lemon-and-herb-couscous-salad-recipe/
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 4 Tablespoons lemon juice (fresh)
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ cups dried Israeli Couscous (also called Pearl Couscous)
- 1 medium English cucumber , diced
- 1 large tomato , diced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, dill, mint, basil) , combined to make 1/2 cup total)
- 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans (or walnuts)
- 1/8 cup dried cranberries
- 1/8 cup raisins
Dice cucumber, tomato, and herbs, Toast chopped pecans by placing them into a dry skillet. Cook pecans on medium heat, stirring, until they become fragrant. This takes 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat when done (to save time, you can toast pecans while couscous is cooking).
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add couscous; continue to cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. While couscous is cooking, make the lemon dressing.
Make salad dressing by whisking olive oil, Dijon, salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, and honey in a medium sized bowl.
Once couscous has finished cooking, drain it (but do not rinse). Immediately pour warm couscous into a serving bowl. Pour salad dressing onto couscous. (the salad will absorb more of the salad dressing if combined while warm). Stir to fully combine.
Add diced tomatoes, cucumber, toasted pecans, cranberries, raisins and chopped herbs to salad. NOTE: The recipe for this lemon herb couscous salad calls for 1/2 cup total of fresh chopped herbs. I used flat leaf parsley, basil (3-4 leaves), dill (2 Tablespoons) and 4 mint leaves. You can use any combination of fresh herbs that you prefer, adding up to 1/2 cup total.
Once the lemon herb couscous salad is mixed together, it is ready to serve! Garnish salad, if desired, sprig of fresh dill or parsley. Serve and enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!