Ready for a bite of spring? This lemony Arugula Couscous Salad is filled with fresh, bright, and crisp flavors. Pair it with your favorite protein or make ahead to enjoy all week long.
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About this Salad
Get ready for a refreshing and bright spring salad.
This Arugula Couscous Salad just screams spring. It's made with fresh herbs, an earthy, lemony olive oil dressing, and couscous cooked to the perfect al dente texture. I also threw in some chopped cucumbers for crunch and feta cheese for a creamy bite. All the flavors are so fresh and bright and perfect for the warmer weather.
Pair this salad with your favorite protein. A tender piece of grilled chicken, oven-baked salmon, or a juicy steak are great options to enjoy it with a complete meal. Serve it on the side or slice it up—however you choose, it'll taste delicious!
And if you're looking for more refreshing salads, also try this Strawberry Quinoa Salad, this Broccoli Waldorf Salad, or this Mango Caprese Salad that I think you'll love, too!
Recipe Ingredients
- Couscous: You need to buy the Trader Joe's brand. It's my absolute favorite. Nothing will ever change my mind!
- Feta: You can use whatever kind of cheese you like. I love how creamy and tart feta cheese is.
- Arugula: A great option for your salad bed! It's slightly bitter, but SO refreshing.
- Lemon Juice: Adds such fresh flavor to our dressing.
- Hot Sauce: One of these things is not like the other...😂 Seriously, though. Adding a little hot sauce really enhances the flavor profile of the dressing and this salad. It's not spicy at all!
- Lemon Pepper: This is a great seasoning to have in the kitchen. It's great for quick bursts of flavor.
- Olive Oil: This will be the base for our dressing.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Prepare the couscous (or other grain of choice) according to the box instructions. Let cool completely before assembling the rest of the salad.
2. While the couscous is cooking, wash and dry the rest of the fresh ingredients. Finely chop the cucumber, parsley, and crush the almonds.
3. Then, add the couscous, cucumber, feta cheese, parsley, almonds, and arugula to the salad bowl.
4. In a mason jar, add the dressing ingredients together. I recommend doubling and storing the rest in the fridge for when enjoying the salad. Shake until well combined. Toss the salad with dressing and serve!
Recipe FAQs
Store this salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 days. The arugula will wilt slightly, but still provides great flavor. Note: The couscous will absorb the dressing. So if you’re making this for meal prep, it’s best if you make additional dressing to add just prior to serving, or just keep the dressing separate.
Instead of water, you could cook your couscous in veggie broth! This is a trick I like to do with rice and quinoa, too.
Sure. Use what you like! I think a Greek or balsamic dressing would taste good. You could even do a creamy dressing like poppy seed or a coleslaw dressing.
This salad is meant to be served chilled. All of the fresh produce would get pretty soggy if you attempt to warm this salad, which is also why it is important to let your quinoa cool before assembly.
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Recipe
Arugula Couscous Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Sauce pot
- large salad bowl
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Rubber Spatula
- Whisk
- strainer
- Mason jar
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup dry couscous
- 1 cup english cucumber
- ⅓ cup feta cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp crushed almonds
- 2 cups arugula
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp hot sauce
- ¼ tsp lemon pepper
- 2 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the couscous (or other grain of choice) according to the box instructions. You’ll need a sauce pot, strainer, and rubber spatula for this step.
- While the couscous is cooking, wash and dry the rest of the fresh ingredients. Finely chop the cucumber, parsley, and crush the almonds.
- Allow the couscous to cool before you continue with any next steps. We don’t want it to cook any of our other ingredients by being too hot.
- Then, add the couscous, cucumber, feta cheese, parsley, almonds, and arugula to the salad bowl. Toss together.
- In a mason jar, add the dressing ingredients together. I recommend doubling and storing the rest in the fridge for when enjoying the salad. Shake until well combined.
- Toss the salad with dressing and serve!
Nutrition
Notes
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If you're using MyFitnessPal, search 'A Paige Of Positivity' and find Lemon Arugula Couscous Salad calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Claire Hartman says
Love this recipe!! Made it for the second time today and will continue to add it to my weekly staples!!
Sydney Van Acker says
so fresh, so flavorful! Court is right though - the trader joe's couscous is superior
Courtney Paige says
Refreshing and light! Reminds me of a restaurant app - so good!