Summer Couscous Salad Recipe

This summer couscous salad recipe is sunshine in a bowl. Turmeric pearl couscous, zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, peppers, and onions...oh my! Fresh and delicious and ready in under 20 minutes!

Hot summer days beg for fresh and delicious cool salads loaded with summer's freshest vegetables. This summer couscous salad recipe is simple with a delightful lemon tarragon dressing. And what makes it the best is that this summer salad takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish!

Jump to:

• What is Couscous?
• Summer Couscous Salad Ingredients
• Summer Couscous Salad Ingredient Substitutions
• Lemon Tarragon Dressing Ingredients
• Lemon Tarragon Dressing Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Make Summer Couscous Salad
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• More Vegan Salad Recipes to Enjoy
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Zucchini, summer squash, and tomatoes are pouring from my garden. We are blessed to live in Arizona, where we can grow vegetables all year round. Despite the heat in the summer, I am always amazed by what grows in 100-plus-degree temperatures!

And the farmers' markets are open all year long, which I take advantage of weekly.

What is Couscous?

There are three types of couscous: Moroccan, Israeli, and Lebanese. Moroccan couscous is the tiniest and most readily available version.

Israeli or pearl couscous is about the size of peppercorns and takes longer to cook. It tends to have a nuttier flavor and chewy texture. Lebanese couscous is the largest of the three and has the longest cooking time.

Rich in selenium, couscous can help boost your immune system and reduce your risk of some diseases like cancer.

Nevertheless, while couscous has health and nutrition benefits, it may not be the best carb choice for everyone.

It contains gluten, making it off limits for some. It also packs fewer nutrients than similar whole grains.

If you’re looking for an easy-to-prepare grain product and don’t mind eating gluten, consider spooning couscous onto your plate.

Summer Couscous Salad Ingredients

• Israeli Pearl Couscous: I chose turmeric pearl couscous for this summer salad recipe.
• Water: The water is used to cook the couscous. A cup of couscous requires 1 cup of boiling water or broth, and it only takes 5-10 minutes, depending on the package directions.
• Summer Squash: Summer squash has a mild, slightly sweet, grassy flavor (the aroma intensifies with wet cooking) and a faint bitterness on the skin. The texture of summer squash is firm yet tender when young, and as they age, the skin becomes tougher and the center pithier.
• Grape Tomatoes: Grape tomatoes come in various colors and contain fewer seeds than other tomatoes.
• Zucchini: Zucchini has a mild taste that verges on sweet but mostly takes on the flavor of whatever it's cooked with. This is why it's such a great candidate as a low-carb pasta substitute in the form of zoodles—it takes on the flavor of whatever sauce it's cooked with
• Red Bell Pepper: Red peppers are sweet and vibrant in color. It adds sweetness to the salad.
• Green Pepper: Green peppers are considered the mildest in flavor than other colors. They are prematurely harvested and have an apparent bitter flavor with a crisp sweetness. Furthermore, they are described as having a green, grassy flavor.
• Red Onion: These onions are colorful and mild in flavor. Because of their bright color and crispy texture, they're great for salads, salsas, and other fresh recipes.
• Basil: Sweet basil has a fresh aroma, a subtle peppery flavor, and a hint of mint. Other varieties taste citrus and spice. 
• Parsley: Parsley brightens flavors. It balances savory dishes like a little lemon juice can make something taste better. Parsley is a mild "bitter." The taste buds on your tongue can distinguish 5 tastes - salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami

Summer Couscous Salad Ingredient Substitutions

• Choose any Israeli couscous flavor.
• Use vegetable broth or water to cook the couscous. Or, try Yondu with water.
• Zucchini or all summer squash in the event one is available and not the other.
• Try baby bell pepper instead of red and green peppers. Baby bell peppers come in various colors and taste similar to red bell peppers.
• Green onions are an excellent substitute for red onions in this summer couscous salad recipe.
• Any fresh herbs enhance the fresh taste of the vegetables.

Lemon Tarragon Dressing Ingredients

• Roasted Lemons: Have you ever roasted lemons? You should try it! Roasted lemons become sweeter and smokey when roasted in the oven.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic is roasted inside the lemons in the oven and becomes creamy and delicious.
• Shallot: Shallots have a delicate and sweet flavor with a hint of sharpness, while onions bring a more intense heat.
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard gives the dressing an enhanced flavor.
• Water: The water thins and emulsifies the ingredients in the dressing.
• Tarragon: Tarragon is a leafy green herb that is highly aromatic with a subtle licorice flavor. It adds a fresh spring taste and a bit of elegance to various recipes. I used dry tarragon instead of fresh because I couldn't find fresh.
• Salt: (Optional) A pinch of salt gives additional flavor to the dressing.

Lemon Tarragon Dressing Ingredient Substitutions

• Use lemons without roasting them for a shortcut; however, the taste will be more sour, so you may want to add 2 teaspoons of maple syrup or date syrup.
• One clove of garlic equals about ⅛th of a teaspoon of garlic powder. 
• Red onion is a substitute for shallots.
• Stone-ground mustard is a substitute for Dijon mustard.
• Fennel seed is the best substitute for tarragon.
• Skip the salt or taste and decide for yourself.

How to Make Summer Couscous Salad

Cooking Couscous

1. Boil 1 cup of water with a pinch of salt.
2. Stir in 1 cup of couscous.
3. Reduce heat to simmer, and cover.
4. Cook for 8-10 minutes.
5. Drain in a colander and rinse in cool water until it is room temperature.
6. Cooking time varies with the type of couscous and brand. Look at package directions for specified times.
7. In the meantime, prepare the dressing.

Preparing the Vegan Salad Dressing

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the lemons and remove the seeds.
3. Place the clove of garlic inside one of the cut lemon halves.
4. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes.
5. Allow the lemons to cool for a few minutes not to burn yourself.
6. Add the garlic clove, squeeze the lemons, and all the ingredients to a high-speed blender.
7. Blend until smooth.
8. Set aside.

Assembling the Salad

1. Place the cooled couscous in a large bowl or tray.
2. Add the chopped vegetables.
3. Toss in the desired amount of dressing. I suggest beginning with ¼ cup and adding more based on personal preference. The dressing goes a long way!
4. Garnish with parsley and basil.
5. Serve with crusty bread.

This recipe serves 8 generously as a side dish or 4 as a vegan meal, but it’s easily cut in half if you cook for 1 or 2.

With that said, I promise you’ll be excited about leftovers—this keeps fresh for about 4 days in the fridge.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Cooking couscous in advance is not suggested unless you toss it with the dressing, or the couscous will dry out and get sticky.
• I suggest using a vegetable chopper to cut the vegetables quickly and uniformly as a shortcut.
• The summer couscous salad recipe can include various vegetables.
• If you don't like tarragon, I suggest using Lemon Basil Dressing.
• The dressing will last 5-7 days in the refrigerator.
• If using fresh tarragon, use 6 fresh tarragon leaves or 3 teaspoons of dried tarragon. Remember, dry herbs are much more potent in taste than fresh herbs.

Try this fresh, delicious summer couscous salad recipe for a quick and easy weeknight meal!

More Vegan Salad Recipes to Enjoy

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