This scrumptious Vegan Summer season Couscous Salad options nectarines and a medley of recent summer time greens. Minimal cooking and prepared in underneath half-hour!
On the lookout for a recent and vibrant dish to have fun summer time? 🌞
Beat the warmth with this refreshing and colourful Vegan Summer season Couscous Salad!
Full of juicy peaches, creamy avocado, crisp cucumber, and protein-rich chickpeas, all tossed in a zesty lemon-olive oil dressing. Good for picnics, lunches, or any summer time gathering. Gentle, scrumptious, and 100% plant-based! 🌿🍑🥒
Why you need to make this Vegan Summer season Couscous Salad proper now:
This Couscous Salad shouldn’t be solely scrumptious but in addition nutritious, providing a steadiness of flavors and textures that remember the freshness of seasonal substances. Plus, it’s vegan-friendly and bursting with flavors!
I like this recipe, as a result of it comes collectively very quickly. With minimal cooking concerned, you may have a wholesome and vibrant meal prepared in underneath half-hour.
Gentle, refreshing, and served chilled, this salad is excellent for decent summer time days. It’s an effective way to remain cool whereas having fun with a nutritious meal.
It is usually filled with plant-based protein from chickpeas, wholesome fat from avocado, and a bunch of recent greens and herbs.
And you may simply swap out substances based mostly on what you’ve readily available or what you like. Attempt including bell peppers, and even grilled tofu for a special twist. See additionally serving concepts down beneath for extra inspiration!
This salad shops nicely within the fridge, making it an ideal possibility for meal prep. Put together an enormous batch and luxuriate in it all through the week for fast and wholesome lunches or dinners.
Give it a try to tell us your favourite twist on this versatile salad! 🌟😋
Vegan Couscous Salad Elements
To make this Couscous salad we are going to want three elements:
- the couscous base
- salad substances
- dressing
However don’t fear, it’s actually minimal effort!
Right here is the listing of all of the substances we used on this recipe:
To make the Couscous base you will have:
- Couscous: this can be a staple meals made out of semolina, usually utilized in North African and Center Jap cuisines. It’s quick-cooking and versatile, making it good for salads. You’ll cook dinner it in vegetable broth for added taste.
- Vegetable broth: Utilizing vegetable broth as a substitute of water enhances the flavour of the couscous. It provides a savory depth that enhances the recent substances within the salad. You’ll be able to skip this and use plain water with a pinch of salt in the event you like.
- Cumin is a spice recognized for its heat, earthy taste with a touch of citrus. It pairs nicely with couscous and provides a delicate fragrant contact to the salad.
- Salt and Pepper: These seasonings are added to style, enhancing the general taste profile of the couscous base.
Whereas your couscous base is cooling, you’ll put together the remainder of the salad substances:
- Chickpeas: often known as garbanzo beans, these are an excellent supply of plant-based protein and fiber. They add texture and substance to the salad.
- Canned corn supplies sweetness and crunch. It contrasts properly with the opposite substances and provides a burst of summer time taste. You’ll be able to swap this with freshly cooked or grilled corn when in season!
- Peaches or Nectarines: These stone fruits deliver a juicy sweetness to the salad. They’re refreshing and supply a pleasant distinction to the savory components.
- Cucumber provides crispness and a recent, cooling factor to the salad. It enhances the opposite flavors and textures.
- Creamy avocado provides richness and wholesome fat to the salad. It’s an excellent supply of nutritional vitamins and minerals, contributing to each taste and vitamin.
- Purple onion provides a light, candy onion taste and a pop of shade. It’s finely chopped to distribute its taste evenly all through the salad.
- Arugula (rocket) provides peppery notes and a leafy inexperienced base to the salad. It’s tender and barely bitter, balancing the sweetness of the fruits and corn.
- Recent herbs like parsley and chives add brightness and taste.
Subsequent, you want these Dressing substances:
- Lemon Juice: Recent lemon juice supplies acidity and brightness to the dressing. It helps to steadiness the flavors and enhances the freshness of the salad.
- Olive oil provides richness and a easy mouthfeel to the dressing. It additionally helps to coat the couscous and different substances, bringing all the things collectively.
- Salt and pepper
Methods to make this Vegan Couscous Salad
This recipe is minimal cooking and ideal for these sizzling summer time days when you may’t be bothered to activate the range. The one cooking is heating some vegetable inventory (or water) to soak the couscous!
Then, you prep the greens and fruit and toss all the things along with a scrumptious dressing.
So let’s see a step-by-step information!
Put together the Couscous:
In a medium saucepan, deliver 1 1/4 cups (310 milliliters) of vegetable broth to a boil. Including vegetable broth as a substitute of water infuses the couscous with extra taste. Combine in 1 teaspoon of cumin.
Stir in 1 cup (250 milliliters) of couscous, then instantly take away the saucepan from warmth. Cowl with a lid and let it sit for five minutes to permit the couscous to soak up the liquid.
After 5 minutes, fluff the couscous with a fork to separate the grains. Season with salt and pepper to style. Switch the couscous to a big mixing bowl to chill.
In case you are in a rush, unfold the couscous out on a baking sheet to chill shortly and evenly.
Put together the salad substances:
Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas underneath chilly operating water. This helps to take away any extra salt and the starchy liquid from the can.
Drain canned corn. Pit and slice 2 peaches or nectarines. Cube the cucumber and avocado. Finely chop 1/2 small purple onion.
Wash and dry 4 handfuls of arugula. Use a salad spinner to make sure the arugula is dry, so it doesn’t water down the salad.
Chop 1 tablespoon of recent parsley and 1 tablespoon of recent chives.
Ideas:
- For a barely nutty taste and firmer texture, you may as well roast the chickpeas within the oven at 400°F (200°C) for about 15-20 minutes.
- For an additional burst of taste, you may sauté the corn in a dry skillet over medium-high warmth till flippantly charred.
- You may also grill the fruit slices for a couple of minutes on either side to caramelize the sugars and add a smoky taste.
Put together the Dressing:
In a small bowl, mix the juice of 1 lemon and a pair of tablespoons of olive oil. For a touch of sweetness, you may add 1 teaspoon of maple syrup or agave nectar. Whisk collectively till nicely mixed.
Assemble the Salad:
Within the massive mixing bowl with the cooled couscous, add the chickpeas, corn, sliced peaches or nectarines, diced cucumber, diced avocado, chopped purple onion, arugula, and herbs.
Pour the lemon-olive oil dressing over the salad.
Gently toss the salad to make sure all substances are evenly coated with the dressing.
Style and season moreover with salt and pepper as wanted.
Serving concepts
This salad pairs nicely with crusty bread or may be served as a facet dish to a bigger meal. It’s additionally nice for picnics or as a lightweight lunch.
Tip: Gown the salad simply earlier than serving to maintain the arugula recent and crisp.
Listed below are some extra serving concepts for this couscous salad:
As a important dish: high with grilled tofu, tempeh, or a handful of toasted nuts (like almonds or pine nuts) for added protein and texture. Pair with a slice of crusty bread or a whole-grain roll to make it extra filling.
As a facet dish: serve alongside grilled greens, veggie burgers, or kebabs for a whole summer time meal.
Pair with soup: get pleasure from it with a lightweight soup, like gazpacho or a chilled cucumber soup, for a refreshing and balanced meal.
Make it a Picnic: layer the salad substances in mason jars for a transportable and visually interesting picnic possibility. Begin with the couscous and heavier substances on the backside, ending with arugula and herbs on the high.
Hold the salad in a cooler or insulated bag to make sure it stays recent and funky till able to eat.
For meal prep: divide the salad into meal prep containers for simple grab-and-go lunches all through the week. Hold the dressing separate and add simply earlier than consuming to keep up freshness.
Wraps and pitas: use the salad as a filling for wraps or stuffed pitas. Add some hummus or vegan tzatziki for additional taste.
For Events and Potlucks: serve the salad on a big platter with additional toppings on the facet, comparable to cherry tomatoes, olives, or pickled greens, permitting friends to customise their parts.
Extra inventive methods to reinforce this salad:
- Earlier than serving, drizzle with a balsamic glaze or a splash of additional lemon juice for added zing.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, or hemp hearts for an additional dietary increase and crunch.
- Combine in different fruits like pomegranate seeds, grapes, or blueberries for a candy distinction.
- Substitute arugula with spinach, kale, or blended greens based mostly in your choice.
- Incorporate further taste components comparable to roasted purple peppers, marinated artichokes, or sun-dried tomatoes.
- Garnish with further recent herbs like basil, mint, or dill for a burst of freshness and shade.
- Beautify with edible flowers like nasturtiums or pansies so as to add an attractive, gourmand contact.
This versatile Vegan Summer season Couscous Salad is ideal for any event and may be simply tailored to swimsuit totally different tastes and settings. Get pleasure from experimenting with these serving concepts and make it your individual!
Storage suggestions
If you wish to retailer any leftovers, or this dish is a part of your weekly meal prep, listed here are our storage suggestions for finest outcomes:
Refrigeration:
Retailer the salad in an hermetic container to maintain it recent and stop it from absorbing odors from different meals within the fridge. The salad will keep recent for 3-4 days within the fridge, however consuming it inside a day or two will likely be finest.
Separate Parts:
If you wish to retailer the salad for an extended interval, contemplate separating the salad elements.
Hold the lemon-olive oil dressing separate from the salad till simply earlier than serving. This helps preserve the crispness of the greens and arugula.
If doable, add avocado simply earlier than serving to forestall it from browning. Should you should retailer it with the salad, toss the avocado items in lemon juice to decelerate oxidation.
Meal Prep Ideas:
If storing the salad in jars or containers for meal prep, layer the substances with the couscous on the backside and the arugula and herbs on the high. This helps maintain the greens from getting soggy.
Divide the salad into particular person parts for simple grab-and-go meals. This additionally helps with sustaining freshness as you solely open one portion at a time.
Refreshing the Salad:
Earlier than serving leftovers, you may add a handful of recent arugula or different greens to enliven the salad.
Hold a bit of additional dressing readily available so as to add simply earlier than consuming, particularly if the salad appears a bit dry after being saved.
Freezing (Not Beneficial):
This salad is finest loved recent. Freezing shouldn’t be advisable because the textures of the recent greens, fruits, and couscous can turn out to be mushy and fewer interesting after thawing.
By following these storage suggestions, you may get pleasure from your Vegan Summer season Couscous Salad at its very best quality for a number of days.
Extra related recipes:
Couscous Stuffed Eggplant with Lemon Tahini Sauce
Roast Pumpkin and Lentil Salad
Chickpea Salad with Yogurt Tahini Dressing
Vegan Summer season Couscous Salad
Yield:
6
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook dinner Time:
5 minutes
Whole Time:
5 minutes
It is a wealthy, nutritious, and scrumptious salad that’s ready with nearly no cooking. The proper summer time salad that may be loved by itself or as a facet dish to a meal, it consists of couscous, nectarines, and summer time greens.
Elements
Couscous base:
- 1 cup (250 milliliters) of couscous
- 1 1/4 cup (310 milliliters) of vegetable broth
- 1 tspn of cumin
- Salt, pepper to style
Additions:
- 1 can of chickpeas (265 grams drained)
- 120 grams of canned corn
- 2 peaches or nectarines
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 small purple onion
- 4 handfuls of arugula
- 1 tbsp of parsley
- 1 tbsp of chives
Dressing:
- 1 lemon, juice
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
Directions
- Deliver the vegetable broth to a boil, combine within the cumin, and add the couscous.
- Stir and let it sit for five minutes for the couscous to soak up the liquid. Season with salt and pepper to style, then let it cool.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas underneath operating water. Slice the greens and fruit.
- Add all the things to a big bowl together with the couscous, arugula, and herbs.
- Season moreover with salt and pepper in response to style.
- Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil, combine nicely, and serve.
Diet Data:
Yield: 6
Serving Measurement: 1
Quantity Per Serving:
Energy: 235Whole Fats: 11gSaturated Fats: 2gTrans Fats: 0gUnsaturated Fats: 9gLdl cholesterol: 0mgSodium: 294mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 7gSugar: 11gProtein: 7g
Diet knowledge is routinely calculated utilizing Nutritionix and will not be correct.
This recipe is sponsored by Hofer Slovenija.
