Simple And Delicious Couscous Salad Recipe (Vegan)

Looking for an easy side dish that will make you feel good on the inside? Try this simple vegan couscous salad recipe tonight. Some links in this article are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them.

This easy recipe comes together quickly and is a perfect side dish for pretty much any meal. With the lime inclusion, this is just as delicious the next day as it is the day you make it.

While I serve this vegan couscous salad warm, that’s by choice. If you make it in advance, feel free to serve it chilled straight from the fridge.

One of the things I like best about this recipe? It essentially gets made entirely in one pot. That’s fewer dirty dishes and work, which makes me happy.

In summer, I serve this alongside my son’s bacon cheddar stuffed burgers as it works perfectly for a picnic meal. It pairs just as nicely with anything from pizza to my favorite lemon garlic chicken.

I like this for a potluck dish, as it stretches further than my straight avocado salad. In fact, I often double the recipe when I make it to ensure it doesn’t disappear before everyone gets to enjoy it.

What kind of couscous should I use?

I typically use an Israeli couscous when I make this vegan couscous salad because I find that the size of the pearls fits best with the rest of the dish. However, this works equally well with any couscous.

The key is to purchase unflavored couscous. Most times in the grocery store, the couscous you see comes in flavored varieties. You want the original or – better yet – a larger bag than the nearly single serving box you most commonly find.

What’s the difference between varieties of couscous?

Most couscous you find in stores is Moroccan cousous and the smallest kind. It’s slightly bigger than a breadcrumb, but really pretty tiny. If you use this kind in the recipe, reduce your cooking time by 2-3 minutes as it cooks faster.

I prefer the Israeli couscous, which is a larger pearl. The recipe cook time is written based on the Israeli couscous. This one is the size of a peppercorn.

You can also find Lebanese couscous, which is the largest of the three. It takes longer to cook, so increase your boil time by at least 15 minutes to account for that if you use these.

One side note: couscous is not gluten free. It is made from semolina, which is a durum wheat, although some are made from barley.

How to Make This Vegan Couscous Salad

Heat the stock to the point of steaming but not boiling in a saucepan. While this heats, add the olive oil to a different hot pan – not a nonstick one, but a good cast iron or heavy aluminum one.

Once it starts to shimmer, add the onion and let it cook for a couple minutes while you chop your tomatoes. Add the tomatoes and then chop the garlic and add it.

Add the couscous, as well, and stir for a couple minutes while it toasts.

Pour the hot stock atop the couscous. Add the salt and parsley (only if you’re doing dried – if you’re using fresh, add it at the very end when you add the lime juice), and cover the pot to simmer the mixture for 8-10 minutes.

While the mixture simmers, cut the avocado into cubes. Once the couscous is cooked, stir in the corn and lime juice (and parsley if you’re using fresh), along with the sugar.

If you use frozen corn, you can add the corn to the couscous while still frozen. Save yourself the time and hassle. If you use fresh corn, toss it in a pan and roast it on medium heat for five minutes while other ingredients cook.

Once this is mixed, add the avocado and gently mix it again. Serve your vegan couscous salad while still warm or chill and serve the next day.

This will keep for just two days in a tightly sealed container or so because of the avocado, but I doubt it will last that long! The lime helps keep it good longer, thankfully.

What’s your favorite couscous recipe?

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