Cucumber Lemon Couscous Salad (Printable)
Fluffy couscous with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, herbs and lemon-olive oil dressing—light, refreshing and quick to make.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup couscous
02 - 1 cup boiling water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
→ Vegetables
04 - 1 large cucumber, diced
05 - 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
07 - 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
→ Dressing
09 - 1 lemon, zested and juiced
10 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
11 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
12 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
13 - Kosher salt, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Place the couscous and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl. Pour the boiling water over the couscous, cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid, and let steep for 5 minutes until the liquid is fully absorbed.
02 - Using a fork, gently fluff the couscous to separate the grains and lighten the texture. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes at room temperature.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, honey or maple syrup, black pepper, and a pinch of salt until the dressing is emulsified and well blended.
04 - Add the diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, parsley, and mint to the cooled couscous. Toss gently to distribute the vegetables evenly throughout.
05 - Pour the lemon dressing over the couscous mixture and toss again until every component is evenly coated with the vinaigrette.
06 - Taste the salad and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It genuinely takes longer to set the table than to make the whole thing.
- The lemon honey dressing is the kind of thing you will want to drizzle on everything afterward.
02 -
- If you dress the salad too far ahead, the cucumbers will weep and pool at the bottom of the bowl, so add the vinaigrette within an hour of serving.
- Letting the dressed salad rest for ten minutes before eating gives the couscous time to absorb the flavors in a way that immediate serving does not.
03 -
- Zest the lemon before you juice it because trying to zest a squeezed lemon is a frustrating and unnecessary battle.
- Run your knife through the mint one extra time since large mint pieces can feel medicinal instead of refreshing.