In my opinion, there is no summer that goes by without me making lemony Cucumber couscous salad.
There’s nothing better than a summer salad, one that’s fresh, delicious, easy to make, and keeps well in the fridge for days.
What more could you ask for in a salad during summer? Furthermore, it would be a great dish to take to all those summer potlucks or barbecues, too.
Apronese thinks it’s okay to eat this dish during the summer, because it’s cool and easy to make, so try it now.
Couscous: What Is It?
The dish couscous is a small, round pasta with a wonderful texture. It cooks rapidly, has a fun texture, and is an excellent addition to salads.
This lemony cucumber couscous salad consists of a large-sized couscous, which is sometimes referred to as Israeli couscous or giant couscous, which can be used in place of pearl couscous (orzo would be my first choice since it is similar in size).
If you can’t find pearl couscous, you can also use either regular couscous or even regular couscous as its equivalents.
There is a difference in the cooking method for regular couscous, so find out more about how it works by looking at this couscous salad (made with regular-sized couscous) for an example of how it is cooked and its dimensions.
Is It Okay to Use Bottled Lemon Juice?
The Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad needs fresh lemon juice to achieve the powerful lemon flavor that is present in this dish, so I do not recommend substituting fresh lemon juice for bottled lemon juice.
Most of the lemon flavor in this salad can be traced to the lemon zest alone, and, unfortunately, you just cannot get that flavor from bottled lemon juice.
Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad: Serving Suggestions
Whether you serve it with some Garlic Marinated Chicken or Veggie Sandwiches, or maybe a Mediterranean Turkey Burger, this super fresh summer salad makes a great side dish for any type of meat you might cook on the BBQ this summer.
What Are the Leftovers Like?
It is the fact that this salad stays fresh in the refrigerator for days that makes me like it so much.
The couscous acts almost as a moisture regulator, keeping the cucumbers from getting soft and soggy and keeping the salad nearly as perfect as it was the first day it was made.
The couscous salad is an excellent way to meal prep for lunch this summer, so if you’re looking for something quick to prepare, this is the one you need.
Couscous Salad with Cucumbers and Lemon
It is an all-around light, fresh, and vibrant summer pasta salad full of lemony cucumbers that makes a great accompaniment to any meal.
Author: Beth
Prep Time: 10 mins / Cook Time 10 mins / Total Time: 20 mins
Servings: 6 (1 cup each)
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups pearl couscous ($2.20)
- 1 fresh lemon ($0.89)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1 English cucumber ($1.49)
- 1/4 bunch parsley ($0.27)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper ($0.02)
- 3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled ($1.23)
Instructions
- Cook the couscous in boiling water for about five minutes, or until it is tender. Drain in a colander. Allow the couscous to drain while you prepare the other salad components. Rinse briefly with cool water to cool off the couscous, then allow it to drip for a short time.
- Using a zester or juicer, zest the lemon and squeeze out the juice, about 12 tablespoons and 3 tablespoons, respectively.
- The lemon juice, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and freshly cracked pepper should be mixed together with some lemon juice.
- Parsley and cucumber can both be chopped roughly into quarters.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. It is advised to serve the couscous slightly cold or to refrigerate it until it is time to serve it. Garnish with the cucumber, parsley, lemon zest, and feta cheese.
Specified cooking instructions are different when cooking Israeli couscous than regular couscous.
In this post, you will find instructions and step-by-step pictures that can help you prepare the Israeli couscous. Orzo can be substituted for the couscous without requiring any adjustments.
Nutritional
Serving: 1 cup ・ Calories: 250 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 36 g ・ Protein: 8 g ・ Fat: 8 g ・ Sodium: 265 mg ・ Fiber: 3 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.
Couscous Salad with Lemony Cucumber– Step by Step Photos
In case you’ve never tried pearl couscous, it’s similar to what you’d expect.
It’s cooked exactly like pasta. For comparison, check out this recipe for couscous salad, where you can see the size of regular couscous. You will need about 1.5 cups of pearl couscous for this recipe.
The couscous must be cooked in a pot of boiling water. Once the couscous is added to the boiling water, the water must be brought to a rolling boil for the couscous.
The couscous is small, so it cooks very quickly (about five minutes).
If the couscous has become too hot, rinse it briefly with cool water to bring it to a cool temperature.
Cooking and cooling the couscous will allow you to prepare the rest of the salad.
Now that the couscous is done, prepare the remaining salad ingredients.
Zest one lemon and juice three tablespoons of it.
Using a mixture of three tablespoons of lemon juice, two tablespoons of olive oil, a tablespoon of garlic powder, some fresh cracked pepper, and a small amount of salt will create the lemony dressing.
You can also mince up a clove of fresh garlic if you are a garlic lover, and make a salad infused with garlic flavor by adding a small amount of powdered garlic in place of fresh garlic.
I decided that I wanted just a hint of garlic flavor to the salad so that I would not add the fresh garlic.
1 cucumber needs to be sliced into quarters, and 1/4 bunches of parsley need to be chopped (about 1/2 cups chopped).
Using a large bowl, combine the prepared and cooled couscous, the chopped parsley, cucumber, and about 3 ounces of crumbled feta cheese, and then add the chopped parsley and cucumber.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the salad, along with a small amount of the prepared dressing.
You want to make sure that the salad is evenly mixed as well as coated with the dressing.
This can be done by stirring and giving it a taste, adjusting salt, pepper, or any other ingredients accordingly.
Once you have made them all, you will be ready to eat them right away, or you may chill them for when it is time for dinner.
As it chills, the flavors will get even more vibrant. Once they are cold, this salad will be even more refreshing.
As much as I love summer party snacks, this Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad is one of my favorites.
Sometimes I add a grilled chicken breast on top and it becomes a full meal.
A dollop of hummus makes it even better.
Complete a dish that Apronese is sure is the most popular and made during the summer.
Of course, everyone wants to make and taste a delicious and cool dish.
Don’t be afraid to follow the recipe above if you want a delicious dish for the whole family. Share your results with everyone.
