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A vibrant and refreshing Mediterranean-style salad featuring chewy pearl couscous, hearty chickpeas, and a medley of crisp vegetables. Tossed in a zesty lemon-herb vinaigrette, it's a perfect light lunch or a colorful side dish.
Cook the Couscous
Prepare Vegetables and Herbs
A vibrant and refreshing Mediterranean-style salad featuring chewy pearl couscous, hearty chickpeas, and a medley of crisp vegetables. Tossed in a zesty lemon-herb vinaigrette, it's a perfect light lunch or a colorful side dish.
This mediterranean recipe takes 27 minutes to prepare and yields 4 servings. At 722.12 calories per serving with 31.37g of protein, it's a beginner-friendly recipe perfect for lunch or dinner or side.
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Make the Vinaigrette
Combine and Serve
Crumble 100g of feta cheese into the salad for a salty, creamy element.
Incorporate grilled chicken, shrimp, or flaked salmon to make it a more substantial main course.
Substitute the pearl couscous with an equal amount of cooked quinoa, brown rice, or sorghum for a gluten-free version.
Add a handful of toasted pine nuts, slivered almonds, or sunflower seeds just before serving.
Feel free to add other vegetables like roasted zucchini, grilled corn, or chopped artichoke hearts.
With chickpeas, couscous, and a variety of vegetables, this salad is high in dietary fiber, which aids digestion, promotes a feeling of fullness, and helps regulate blood sugar levels.
Chickpeas are a fantastic source of plant-based protein, essential for muscle repair, immune function, and sustained energy throughout the day.
The vinaigrette is made with extra virgin olive oil, which is rich in monounsaturated fats. These healthy fats are known to support cardiovascular health by helping to lower bad cholesterol levels.
The colorful array of fresh vegetables like bell peppers and tomatoes provides essential vitamins (like Vitamin C) and antioxidants that help protect your body from cellular damage.
Yes, this salad is very healthy. It's packed with plant-based protein and fiber from chickpeas, complex carbohydrates from couscous, healthy fats from olive oil, and a wide range of vitamins and antioxidants from the fresh vegetables and herbs.
One serving of this couscous salad contains approximately 530 calories. This can vary slightly based on the exact size of your vegetables and the amount of olive oil used.
Absolutely! This salad is perfect for meal prep. You can prepare the couscous and chop the vegetables ahead of time. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep the vinaigrette separate and toss everything together just before serving to maintain freshness and crunch.
Pearl couscous is a pasta made from wheat and is not gluten-free. To make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace the couscous with a gluten-free grain like quinoa, millet, or brown rice. Adjust cooking times according to the package directions of the grain you choose.
This salad is very versatile! You can add crumbled feta or goat cheese, Kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, or toasted nuts like pine nuts or almonds. For extra protein, consider adding grilled chicken or shrimp.
This recipe goes great with these complete meals
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