Vegan Pearl Couscous Salad

This easy and quick vegan pearl couscous salad with a lemon vinaigrette is perfect for vegan lunches, picnics, potlucks, travel, or as a simple side to your favorite plant-based meals. It's light yet satisfying, blending fresh veggies like beets and asparagus with nutty couscous and a zesty, herby lemon dressing that's all about fresh vibes.

Looking for more pasta salads? Try Vegan Caesar Pasta Salad or Vegan Orzo Pasta Salad.

As a food blogger, my kitchen turns into a test lab, crafting the same recipe repeatedly for photos, videos, and endless tweaking. So every time I make a recipe to the brink of madness, I swear it off like a bad habit - vowing we're done, finished, never to reunite… at least until next time.

But this recipe? It's the clingy ex I can't shake off. Much like Instant Pot Vegetable Pearl Couscous, there's something about the fresh veggies arm-in-arm with the nutty, chewy couscous. In this recipe, they're all dressed up in a light lemony vinaigrette and keep sliding into my DMs with a "Hey, want more?" And honestly? I'm not playing hard to get. I'm all in, folks - fork first, ready for another bite anytime.

Why You'll Love This Bowl

• it's delicious
• utterly satisfying
• freshly fantastic
• light grab-and-go meal
• delicious warm, cold, or room temp
• great for packed lunches, picnics, potlucks, traveling, or meal prepping

Ingredients

This salad hits the spot with a perfect 50/50 split between couscous and veggies. Feel free to tweak the ratios and a veggie or two to suit your taste.

Here are pictures of what you'll need for the recipe. See the recipe card for quantities.

Here are the ingredients for the couscous salad bowl.

Here are the ingredients for the lemon vinaigrette. This makes a lot of vinaigrette, but you'll use it all for this large couscous salad bowl.

What Is Pearl Couscous

Short answer: Pearl couscous are pea-sized, round, pearl-shaped pasta balls.

Longer answer: Pearl and Israeli couscous are basically the same, but pearl couscous is slightly bigger. Also known as Mograbia or maftoul, this toasted wheat flour pasta goes by many names.

People use the terms interchangeably, and whether you grab pearl, Israeli, or Lebanese couscous, it’s all good! We are looking for chubby couscous.

Fun fact: Israeli couscous was created in the 1950s when rice was scarce, and Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion came up with this tasty rice substitute that has now evolved into the pearl-shaped form we love today.

Other Ingredient Notes

• Scallions, aka green onions - Use both the light and green parts.
• Spinach/arugula spring mix - Lettuce varieties, like butter lettuce, romaine, and red leaf, are tender and also perfect for this vegan couscous bowl.
• Butter beans - White beans such as cannellini or navy beans also work.
• Beets - Beets are harvested from June to October, but you'll find them in grocery stores year-round because they store well. Canned or vacuum-packed cooked beets are like hitting an easy button. It's a quick fix that cuts down on mess and fuss, leaving you more time for, you know, not cooking or peeling beets.
• Asparagus - Pick the skinniest asparagus bunch for salads and grain bowls; they cook quicker and are tastier.
• Peas - Use frozen or canned if you can't find fresh.
• A handful of fresh mint for topping gives it a refreshing touch.

How To Make Vegan Pearl Couscous Salad

Here's a glance at what you'll be doing. See the recipe card for the details.

Step 1: Kick things off with the couscous - get it going on the stove while you wash and cut the veggies.

Step 2: Boil salt water, then dunk asparagus and peas for a quick 2-3 minute brightening session. Drain and let cool or put them in ice water to stop the cooking if you want.

Step 3: Toss the dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl and whisk well. Taste and tweak.

Step 4: Throw all the ingredients into a big bowl. Splash on the dressing, then toss. Spread the couscous salad into bowls. Top with cracked pepper, mint, lemon zest, and whatever extras you fancy.

Top Tips

• You can always use water for the couscous, but the veggie broth takes up the flavor a notch.
• The only thing that takes a little time, maybe 10 minutes, is washing and cutting the veggies. Do this while the couscous cooks, and your meal can be ready in less than 20 minutes.
• This recipe is tagged for 8 big servings. However, as a potluck side or with extras like roasted veggies or tofu, it can probably serve 12-15.
• Freshness matters. Choose veggies that still think they're in the garden and olive oil that thinks it's liquid gold for that lemon vinaigrette. Using extra-virgin olive oil makes a big flavor difference.
• The beets give the couscous a pink hue. If you're not into the pink vibe for your potluck or dinner, just top the salad with beets before serving and mix them in when it's serving time.

Variations

• If you want more plant-based protein, toss in roasted chickpeas, tofu, or tempeh.
• If you don't like one of the listed veggies, swap it out or substitute it for other delicious vegetables.
• Pair your vegan couscous bowl with a side of warm, crusty bread.
• Add some raisins or dried cranberries for a savory sweet combo.
• Optional toppings: crumbled vegan feta or avocado

Storage

Let the couscous cool down to keep your Couscous Salad Bowl tasting fresh to avoid unwanted steamy surprises.

Once it's cool, place it in an airtight container to prevent it from absorbing weird fridge flavors. If you prefer your salad crisp, you could hold off on adding the dressing and lettuce until you're about to eat.

I want to add that packing a vegan couscous salad for road trips is great. Like this orzo salad and cobb salad, it dodges fast food pitfalls and saves your wallet. Seal it in containers, chill, and you're set. Sure, your car might get a little pink couscous balls makeover, but that's just a snack scavenger hunt for your dog.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Delicious Vegan Salads and Bowls

What did you think?

Have a minute? Dive into the comments and rate this Vegan Couscous Salad to let me know how it turned out for you. Was it a hit? Did you add any twists? I want to know if my directions were any good. Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for inspiration.

Recipe

Vegan Pearl Couscous Salad

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Regi Pearce
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 8 bowls 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

This vegan pearl couscous salad with a lemon vinaigrette is perfect for vegan lunches, picnics, potlucks, traveling, or as a side to your favorite plant-based meals. It's light yet satisfying, blending fresh veggies and nutty couscous with a zesty, herby dressing that's all about fresh vibes.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the Bowl:

• 2 cups pearl couscous
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces (~300 grams)
• 1 cup peas (use frozen or canned if fresh aren't available)
• 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 4 green onions, white and green parts sliced
• 2 cups spinach/arugula spring mix - or use lettuce varieties, like butter lettuce, romaine, and red leaf
• 2 cans butter beans (or any white bean)
• 1 cup beets, chopped (120 grams)
• ¼ cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
• handful of fresh mint, chopped
• freshly cracked pepper
• 0ptional toppings: crumbled vegan feta and avocado

For the Lemon Vinaigrette:

• 2 garlic cloves (grated or minced)
• 1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme (optional)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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Instructions

1. Cook the Couscous: Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the pearl couscous, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until al dente. Fluff with a fork and let it cool slightly.
2. Blanch the Vegetables*: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and peas, and blanch for 2-3 minutes until bright green but crisp. Place the veggies in an ice-cold batch of water to stop the cooking fast if you want.
3. Make the Dressing: Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small jar or bowl. Adjust seasoning to taste.
4. Assemble the Bowl: In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients. Drizzle with the lemon herb dressing and gently toss to combine.
5. Serve: Divide the mixture among bowls. Top with mint and cracked pepper or your choice of optional toppings. 

Notes

I use 40 grams each of spinach and arugula, which is about a small handful each.

Buy canned or vacuum-packed beets for an easy alternative to buying and preparing fresh beets.

Since pea season is short and peas must be shelled, they can be more work to prepare, so substitute with canned or frozen peas.

I provided instructions for the couscous since those are commonly found on most packages, but it's best to follow the specific instructions on your package.

*I often toss the peas and asparagus into the couscous pot towards the end of its cooking time. It's a one-pot hack that saves me from waiting around. Add the veggies about 2-3 minutes before the couscous is finished. The water's temperature will drop slightly, so you might need to let the couscous cook an extra couple of minutes.

Thanks to the beets, the couscous in this salad will turn a shade of Barbie dream house pink. If you're aiming to impress at a potluck or dinner and aren't big on the pink look, elegantly plop the beets on top. It'll look awesome and you can stir them in when it's time to eat.

This salad can be served at room temperature, cold, or warm.

I marked this recipe with 8 servings, but that's if you're dishing out hearty, meal-sized bowls. If it's on the lineup as a potluck dish or a side, or you're jazzing it up with roasted veggies or tofu, you could comfortably stretch it to 12 servings.

Nutritional information is only an estimate.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: salads and bowls
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 bowl
• Calories: 253
• Sugar: 6.2 g
• Sodium: 733.1 mg
• Fat: 17 g
• Carbohydrates: 22.1 g
• Protein: 6.3 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg

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