Summer Lemon Pearl Couscous Salad
This summer lemon pearl couscous salad toasts Israeli couscous in broth with lemon, then tosses with squash, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, feta, and a honey lemon dressing. A perfect summer side dish.
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Servings: 6
Ingredients
The Couscous
- 1 cup pearl couscous Israeli couscous
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 large lemon
The Salad
- 1 large yellow squash diced small and cooked
- 1 cup cucumber diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/4 cup red onion finely diced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
The Lemon Honey Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pearl couscous and toast for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly golden and nutty smelling.
- Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice, and let cool to room temperature.
- While the couscous cooks, cook the diced squash in a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat until tender and slightly golden. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
- Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled couscous, cooled squash, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, parsley, and feta. Pour the dressing over everything and toss gently until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve at room temperature or refrigerate and pull out 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Toast the couscous before adding the broth. Two to three minutes of toasting adds a nutty depth to the finished salad that plain boiled couscous does not have.
- Both the couscous and the squash need to be at room temperature before combining. Adding warm ingredients to the dressing causes it to break and become greasy rather than coating everything cleanly.
- This salad is significantly better after 30 minutes of rest as the dressing absorbs into the couscous and the flavors meld together.
- Pull from the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving if chilled. Cold couscous absorbs the dressing and tastes muted. Room temperature brings everything back to life.
