Pearl Couscous Salad (2024)

Easy, make ahead Mediterranean couscous salad. Pearl couscous combined with vegetables and then dressed up in a sweet and sour homemade dressing. Finished with chopped pecan for a nutty crunch factor.

Next time, try this earthy beet and carrot salad.

This vegan salad is nutty, fruity and full of flavors. Great to accompany any meal, favorite side with grilled meats and a pleasure to bring to your next potluck.

❤️ Why You'll Love It

• So easy to make.
• Bright and flavorful.
• Vegan and it suits many diets.
• Make it up to 24 hours ahead of time.

This salad is ridiculously easy to make and feeds a crowd. A very delicious summer salad that you could eat year round. It is very versatile and can serves you in so many ways, as a side dish, lunch or a light dinner.

📝 Ingredients

🥄 Instructions

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.

• Cook couscous: In a medium saucepan, toast couscous on medium-high heat in extra virgin olive oil 1-2 minutes. Then Pour water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and use a fork to fluff and separate couscous, let it cool down.
• Meanwhile in a small bowl or measuring cup combine the dressing ingredients together.

• In a deep bowl, add cooked couscous, arugula and pomegranate seeds together. Pour dressing over and toss to combine. Garnish with pecans or your favorite chopped nuts.

💡 Tips

Expert Tip: Toast couscous first in extra virgin olive oil as this brings out a nice nutty flavor and makes the color more appealing.

• I liked cooking the couscous with only water and no broth or stock involved. You can use vegetable broth or any broth you like.
• If you are not making it vegan, you can toast the couscous in a combination of olive oil and butter for more flavor.
• This recipe should be served immediately, or at most within an hour. This is because arugula tends to welt quickly. If you want to make it in advance, add arugula just before serving.

💬 Recipe FAQs

⌛ Make Ahead

You can make this salad 24 hours ahead, just do not add the arugula and mix everything together then refrigerate. When ready to serve add in the arugula.

👩‍🍳 Variations

• You can substitute regular couscous for the pearl couscous.
• Pearl couscous also goes by the name Israeli couscous in many countries.
• Play with the recipe and change the greens, use baby spinach or mixed salad greens.
• Feta cheese, black olives, green olives, artichoke hearts, fresh mozzarella and also beans and chickpeas are among the famous ingredients to add on to your couscous salad. So do not limit yourself.

🍽️ Serve With

• Oven roasted eggplant , fava bean dip or hummus for a vegan dinner.
• Shish Tawook, shish kebab, kofta or baked sea bass, this salad goes really great with grilled meats.

• Tabouli Salad.
• Loaded with fresh herbs and vegetables this Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is dressed in a delicious lemon vinaigrette for a hearty lunch or side dish.
• This beet and carrot salad is one of my favorites. It's earthy, nutritious and the color is incredibly appealing.
• Here is a refreshing Mediterranean watermelon salad with arugula, feta and mint. This salad stands out at potlucks and disappears fast.
• Easy eggplant salad.
• Tasty Guacamole.
• Fattoush.
• White Bean Salad is a satisfying and protein-packed salad with a harmonious balance of flavors. Creamy white beans with fresh vegetables and zesty vinaigrette make for a refreshing and nutritious dish.

More Couscous Recipes

• Fluffy couscous combined with nutty vibrant pesto makes this delicious 5-minutes pesto couscous. This is a great quick and easy side dish or main dish to add to your rotation.
• Try this Simple Sweet Couscous Recipe next time you need something sweet in just 5 minutes. This couscous recipe is unique and I bet you haven't tried it before.

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First published June 22, 2018 . Last updated May 24, 2021 with important tips, clear step by step instructions and readability.

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