A 12 minute, no cook, giant Couscous Salad with sun dried tomato, feta, rocket (arugula), herbs and the nutty tastiness of chickpeas. My shortcut-flavour tip is to use the oil from the sun dried tomato jar as the dressing – free flavour!
A really quick Couscous Salad
This is a 12 minute meal. It’s also a no cook meal. Which means no matter how hot, how tired and how hangry you are (no typo there), or even if you’ve been cooking non stop all day since 7 am, up to your elbows in batter and pasta sauces (🙋🏻♀️), you can still muster up the energy for a seriously tasty bowl of deliciousness that requires minimal effort.
Of course, this is perfect to serve as a side as well. This would be ideal served with Western meals but especially Middle Eastern dishes such as:
But because it’s got pops of quite intense flavour thanks to the sun dried tomato and feta, it’s certainly worthy of being a meal.
Sun Dried Tomato Dressing
Speaking of sun dried tomato – this is your secret weapon for this Couscous Salad. Be sure to get the strips (to save yourself slippery oily chopping, yep, been there, done that) and be absolutely sure to get sun dried tomato in oil, not the dry vac packed version, because all that oil is infused with tasty sun dried tomato flavour and that’s what I use to dress the salad.
There is something very satisfying about tipping the entire jar of sun dried tomatoes, oil and all, over the salad. Draining oil is messy business!
I add chickpeas for texture and also nuttiness which means I don’t feel the need to throw in a handful of nuts, though that certainly wouldn’t hurt.
You’ll also be surprised how much rocket (arugula) is in this. It looks like a vast volume until you hack away at it – I like to chop it very roughly so it tosses through better.
It also means you can eat this with a spoon. In a bowl. On the couch. Never having to take your eyes off the TV as you scoop up mouthful after mouthful, binge watching Real Housewives, The Kardashians, Project Runway or other such highly intellectual show.
Every time they happen to be on when I turn the TV on, it’s like a train wreck and I can’t look away. And I can feel my brain cells popping with every passing minute… 🤣 – Nagi x
MORE SUMMER SALADS to take to gatherings
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Coleslaw
- Potato Salad and Lemon Potato Salad
- Pearl Couscous Salad <– personal fave!
- Wild Rice Salad <– reader fave!
- 12 Minute Sun Dried Tomato Couscous Salad
-
Browse all Pasta Salads and Rice Salad
Couscous Salad
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Couscous Salad with Sun Dried Tomato and Feta
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups dried couscous (Note 1)
- 1 1/4 cups / 315 ml boiled water
- 1 tsp vegetable stock powder (or 1 cube crumbled) (Note 2)
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1 tsp coriander powder (or cumin - I interchange)
- 400 g / 14 oz chickpeas (1 can) , drained
- 1/2 cup coriander , finely chopped
- 1/2 cup parsley , finely chopped (or mint)
- 1 red onion , chopped
- 220 g / 7 oz jar sun dried tomato strips in OIL (Note 3)
- 120 g / 4 oz rocket / arugula lettuce , chopped into 5 cm / 2" pieces
- Zest of 1 large lemon
- 5 tbsp fresh lemon juice (2 large lemons)
- 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 60 g / 2 oz feta , crumbled
- Salt and pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Place chickpeas, couscous, vegetable stock powder, coriander and garlic in a large bowl. Pour over hot water, shake to level out couscous (chickpeas should mostly settle on top). Cover with plate or cling wrap, set aside for 5 minutes.
- Fluff couscous with fork. Cool a bit.
- Add coriander, parsley, onion, sun dried tomatoes (including all oil), rocket, lemon juice and black pepper. Sprinkle zest across surface. Toss well to combine.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer to serving bowl, sprinkle with feta. Serve.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally posted January 2018. Post updated for housekeeping matters, no change to recipe.
LIFE OF DOZER
When I leave and when I come home:
It’s Sunday evening. We’re always both so buggered we can only muster up enough energy to argue over what sort of takeaway we’re getting.
But not this day.
You had me at 12 minutes before I even read the part about ‘no cooking’.
Still had to go shopping to get a couple of things for this pile of deliciousness but will be better prepared next time, and there WILL be a next time, probably later this evening coz it makes a satisfyingly large amount. Top marks Nagi!!!!
Another super tasty salad. I used spinach the last couple of times, ran out of parsley so doubled the coriander and topped up lemon juice with lime. Easy dinner option along with rotisserie chicken and crusty rolls.
I am a uni student and i LOVE this recipe so much – it is so affordable and delicious and it makes so so much. I added cucumber and tomato and it made it so yummy and fresh i very much recommend :))
Made this for dinner tonight, good choice for a vegetarian meal. Love the flavour combinations, simple to put together, but for our tastes I’d use only half the rocket, more mint and maybe even double the amount of sundried tomatoes. I also soaked the sliced red onion in water for 30 mins to take away that raw onion harshness. This recipe recipe makes a huge amount – you could easily halve it and have plenty for a family of four.
This recipe as usual super yum!!
Have made so many of your dishes Nagi, thought I should finally say Thankyou xx
So easy to make and delicious. I make this salad every week now. Thanks as always for sharing, and helping me (and I’m sure many others all over the world) become more confident in the kitchen, Nagi 😊
Made this on the weekend, loved it, thank you so much for the recipe. x
I tried this recipe because I thought it looked interesting. WOW. Its seriously my favorite salad now. I found the salad to be just as good a couple days later. Seriously! I would note that I added most of the arugula at the time of serving (along with the feta) so it would stay super fresh. But honestly, I’m not sure I needed to do that since nothing in the salad got mushy on day two or three. Its a lot of ingredients, but so easy to make, and makes a lot. Love it. Thank you Nagi!!
hmmm ive only seen spiced coriander….where do you find fresh coriander and/or what may i use as a substitute? Thank you for these great recipes!! My family destroys your gyros. so so good, xo
Not sure where you are living but fresh coriander is cilantro in the US.
Thank you so much!
Easy to prepare, healthy to eat and pretty darn tasty. Anther winner. 🙂
This has become a firm favourite in our house. We saute the onion and garlic first and mix in when cool.
This was the best salad I have ever made! Even my son, who has an aversion to vegetables, loved this. It lasted a few days & got even as time went on. Thank you for another wonderful recipe Nagi – I will be keeping this one & making regularly!!
So didn’t have rocket, fresh parsley or mint. I used dried parsley and mint and doubled up on fresh coriander. And still it was fab. Beautiful fresh flavours, zesty and light and the sun dried tomatoes give it an almost meaty bite. Another winner Nagi, love your website. My mates wouldn’t think me half as good a cook without your input. Thanks again me dear!
This was delish. I added some toasted pine nuts for crunch. Next time will try it with cranberries. For some sweetness. Great recipe.
We used apricots and it worked great
Absolutely making this again. It was delicious and so very very simple
My go to lunch! Love this recipe so much!
SO good!! I’m 15 and was looking for a salad recipe that wasn’t too much like…well rabbit food. My favourite salad recipe – I wish I could upload a picture!
We don’t like bitter or peppery greens, so arugula and rocket are out. What other type of green would you suggest?
Hi! Try baby spinach 🙂 N x
I followed the recipe as is. Way too much onion for us. Otherwise I liked it, would swap out red onion for spring onion next time. Or use 1/4 of red onion.
Delicious, but ‘minimal effort’?? It has 16 ingredients, what planet are you on?
But when you’re just tipping them out of a jar or a packet it IS easy!
Did you really need to add that insulting (“What planet are you on”) comment? Okay, yeah, there IS definitely a bit of chopping to do, but about 1/3 of the ingredients are either spices or ready to go things like the feta cheese, chickpeas, and even the rocket greens, which you can find pre-chopped (or torn) in bags at the grocery store. No doubt, the chopping and or cutting up is energy-consuming but in comparison to some other couscous salad recipes, this one is really pretty quick to come together. Please try to not be judgemental here. (This isn’t Twitter.) Disagree ment with Nagi on something in the recipe is fine, sarcasm about it, not so much. Thanks.
My new favourite salad! Added apricots and swapped chickpeas for pinenuts – loved it