Easy and flavorful couscous chickpea salad with sun dried tomatoes and fresh basil. Great for a light lunch, side, potluck or picnic!
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How to make couscous more tasty?
Couscous is a quick-cooking pasta that originated in North Africa.
Similar to other types of pasta, it’s made from semolina and does not have a strong flavor on its own.
This makes it ideal for taking on the flavors of whatever you prepare it with.
An easy way to make couscous more tasty is by cooking it with spices. For example, this Moroccan Couscous Salad is made with ras el hanout spice for a delicious north African-inspired dish.
With all my couscous recipes I recommend toasting the couscous first.
Toasting is easy and adds a deeper layer of flavor.
Once toasted, rehydrate the couscous with vegetable stock instead of water.
Finally, make couscous more tasty by tossing it in a flavorful dressing.
Vinaigrette-style dressings work great with couscous to season without causing the couscous to clump together.
In this couscous chickpeas salad, I used my delicious Maple Dijon Dressing.
What to put in couscous salad with chickpeas?
Both couscous and chickpeas are rather bland so you can put pretty much anything in couscous salad and it will taste good.
A popular choice is to do a Mediterranean couscous salad with kalamata olives and feta cheese.
(Somehow food bloggers think that these two ingredients automatically make a recipe “Mediterranean”).
Your choice of fresh vegetables such as cucumber, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, red onion and fresh herbs round out the Mediterranean vibe.
Or try roasted vegetables such as bell pepper, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, eggplant, etc.
When I’m going for a Moroccan-inspired couscous salad, I like to add dried fruit such as chopped dates, apricots, raisins, sultanas or cherries.
Nuts can add nice crunch. Try chopped walnuts, cashews, slivered almonds, or if you’re rich, pine nuts.
Fresh herbs such as cilantro, parsley, basil or mint are delicious in couscous salad.
Ingredients
This is a simple couscous salad with just a few ingredients that deliver big on texture and flavor. Feel free to add any additional vegetables that you like!
Couscous: There are two main types of couscous. This recipe uses Moroccan couscous, which is the smaller, grain-like type.
Stock: A good quality vegetable stock for re-hydrating the couscous and adding additional flavor.
Chickpeas: One can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed.
Sun dried tomatoes: I use sun dried tomatoes packed in oil with herbs. They are umami bombs!
Basil: Chopped fresh basil is the herb of choice in this recipe but you can substitute parsley or cilantro.
Cucumber: One cucumber, I use standard field cucumbers not English or Persian cucumbers. I peel the skin a little bit because it’s tougher.
Dressing: The dressing for this couscous salad calls for olive oil, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and salt.
How to make couscous chickpea salad
This simple salad comes together quickly and makes a great light main dish, side dish or potluck contribution.
Prep: Drain and rinse the can of chickpeas.
Drain the sun dried tomatoes and chop them up into small pieces.
I use thick-skinned standard cucumbers so I like to peel the skin. Then chop up the cucumber into small-ish pieces.
Finely chop the basil.
Couscous: I always toast couscous for extra flavor.
Heat a large pan on medium heat. Add the couscous and toast until golden brown.
At first you’ll need to stir it frequently. As it begins to toast, you should stir it continuously since it can quickly burn. Turn down the heat if it is browning very quickly.
Once toasted, turn off the heat, pour in the vegetable stock and quickly put the lid on the pan.
Leave the couscous to steam until soft - about 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and separate the grains with a fork.
Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
Dressing: Make the dressing by combining the olive oil, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and salt in a bowl. Stir well to emulsify.
Combine: Once the couscous has cooled, add the cucumber, sun dried tomatoes, chickpeas, and basil.
Pour over the dressing and toss well to combine.
Variations and substitutions
Couscous: You can make this recipe with pearl couscous, orzo or quinoa instead of Moroccan couscous.
Vegetables: Add in, or substitute, your favorite vegetables. Kalamata olives are a popular addition to this type of salad. Red onion, grated carrot or bell pepper, nuts, or other herbs like parsley, pomegranate seeds, or dried fruit like raisins would be good additions.
Dressing: For extra flavor, add some spices into the dressing such as coriander, cumin or cinnamon. Or skip the vinaigrette and just dress the salad with a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar like in this vegan couscous salad.
FAQs
Couscous is commonly mistaken for a grain when it is actually a type of pasta. Pasta and rice have similar nutritional profiles making neither considerably healthier than the other.
Use equal parts by volume of couscous and water or vegetable stock. For the best flavor, toast the couscous first. Once the couscous is golden brown, turn off the heat pour in the liquid and cover the pan with a tightly-fitting lid. Allow the couscous to steam for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and separate the grains with a fork.
Make ahead and storage tips
If you want to make this couscous chickpea salad ahead of time, you can cook the couscous, prep the veggies and dressing and store them in separate containers in the refrigerator.
Storing the ingredients separately will help to maintain the texture, especially of the cucumber which will expel water as it sits.
You can also make this salad for meal prep. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Keep in mind that the cucumber will lose a bit of its crunch over time.
I don’t recommend freezing this salad.
How to serve couscous chickpea salad
This easy couscous chickpea salad is a nice, light lunch or dinner served with crusty bread or a green salad.
It also makes a great side dish to any type of tofu, veggie burger, sandwich, soup or stew.
Bring it to a barbecue or potluck.
Couscous Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 cup (200 grams) couscous
- 1 cup (250 ml) vegetable stock
- 1 can (14 oz / 400 grams) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup (85 grams) chopped sun dried tomatoes
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
For the vinaigrette
- 1 small clove of garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the dry couscous and toast until golden brown. Stir frequently at first until it begins to brown, then stir continuously to prevent burning.
- Turn off the heat, pour in the vegetable stock and quickly put the lid on the pan. Allow to steam until soft - about 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and separate the grains with a fork. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
- Once cooled, add the chickpeas, sun dried tomatoes, cucumber, and basil.
- Combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette and stir well to emulsify. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well to combine.
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