Lemon Zucchini Couscous Salad

This Lemon Zucchini Cous Cous Salad is a dish that can be enjoyed for lunch, a side dish or even a light dinner!  The lemon adds fresh flavor and the cous cous is so filling!

 I used to eat a cous cous pretty regularly, but about 10 years ago I went gluten free and for some reason I never added cous cous back into my diet after I started eating gluten again.  If you aren’t familiar, cous cous is actually a form of pasta that is made from just water and semolina flour.  This Lemon Zucchini Cous Cous Salad made me remember just how delicious it is.

I’m all about the quick an easy recipes and cous cous is perfect for that!  It takes less than 10 minutes to make and can be used like you would use a grain or a pasta.

Lemon Zucchini Cous Cous Salad Recipe Ingredients

• Cous Cous – Cous Cous is a type of pasta made from semolina flour.  It’s really quick and easy to make and is a great base for this salad.  It’s filling and really just soaks up all the delicious flavors.
• Zucchini – It’s not quite zucchini season, but it’s still easy to get and goes great with the lemon flavor.  You could also add some yellow squash if you like.
• Chickpeas – Chickpeas add some protein without adding any overpowering flavor.  You could also use white beans.
• Feta Cheese – Feta cheese adds some nice creaminess to the cous cous salad.  It’s also salty and just bring everything together.  You can use regular feta cheese or dairy free.
• Red Onion – As you all probably know, I love adding red onion to my salads!  I’m a huge fan of raw red onion and the sharpness doesn’t bother me at all.  If you don’t love raw red onion, you can cook the onion with the zucchini to mute the flavor a bit.
• Pistachios – I wanted to add a crunchy element and roasted, salted pistachios just seemed like the right choice.  You can use any kind of nut or seed you like though.
• Fresh Herbs – Fresh herbs add so much brightness to salads like this.  I used a mixture of mint and parsley for this recipe, but any fresh herbs will work.
• Dressing – The dressing is super simple and the dressing ingredients are just mixed right into the salad, rather than mixing the dressing together before pouring it on.  The dressing is made using olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic and salt and pepper.

How To Make This Easy Lemon Zucchini Cous Cous Salad

1. Start by preparing your cous cous according to package directions.  Once cous cous is finished cooking, fluff with a fork and then add it to a large bowl to allow it to cool a bit.
2. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add olive oil and diced zucchini.  Season with salt and pepper and then stir everything together.  Cook zucchini for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the outsides are golden brown but the zucchini itself still has a little bit of texture.
3. Add the zucchini to the large bowl with the cous cous.  Add in the chickpeas and red onion and give a good mix.  
4. Next, add in all the remaining ingredients and mix well.  You don’t have to mix the dressing separately, you can just pour the olive oil and lemon juice right over the salad.
5. Give the cous cous salad a taste and add extra seasonings, if desired.  Enjoy!

Cous Cous Salad Recipe Frequently Asked Questions

• Is this recipe gluten free?  No, cous cous is not gluten free and I’m not sure if they make a gluten free kind.  You could sub quinoa or rice for the cous cous if you like!
• Is this recipe vegan?  No, I used regular feta cheese, but it can easily be made vegan by omitting the cheese or using dairy free feta cheese.
• Can this salad be made ahead of time?  Yes, This cous cous salad can be made a day or two ahead of time.  I would just leave out the pistachios until ready to serve or else they will love their crunchy texture.
• How long will leftovers keep in the refrigerator?  If stored in an airtight container, leftovers should last for about 4-5 days in the refrigerator.

Have a question I didn’t answer?  Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP!

Looking For More Vegetarian Zucchini Recipes?

Blackened Zucchini Tacos

The BEST Roasted Zucchini

Cheesy Zucchini Enchiladas

4 Ingredient Zucchini Tater Tots

Orange Ginger Zucchini Noodles

Lemon Zucchini Cous Cous Salad

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: She Likes Food
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 1x
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

This Lemon Zucchini Cous Cous Salad is packed with lots of delicious ingredients and great for lunch or a side dish!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 (10 oz) box plain cous cous
• 5–6 cups diced zucchini, I dice mine pretty small but you can do whatever size you like
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 1 cup feta cheese crumbles
• 1/2 cup packed fresh herbs, I used parsley and mint but most fresh herbs would taste great
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped roasted and salted pistachios
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• zest of one lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and Pepper

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Instructions

1. Start by preparing your cous cous according to package directions.  Once cous cous is finished cooking, fluff with a fork and then add it to a large bowl to allow it to cool a bit.
2. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add 2-3 teaspoons olive oil and the diced zucchini.  Season with salt and pepper and then stir everything together.  Cook zucchini for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the outsides are golden brown but the zucchini itself still has a little bit of texture.
3. Add the zucchini to the large bowl with the cous cous.  Add in the chickpeas and red onion and give a good mix.
4. Next, add in all the remaining ingredients and mix well.  You don’t have to mix the dressing separately, you can just pour the olive oil and lemon juice right over the salad.
5. Give the cous cous salad a taste and add extra seasonings, if desired.  Enjoy!

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Category: Lunch, Salad, Vegetarian
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American