Israeli Couscous Salad with Cucumber, Spinach, and Parsley

My porch planters are flourishing and I’ve been using fresh herbs every night to make dinner as well as some drinks. We’ve thrown fresh mint into mojitos, rosemary into a gin & tonic, and basil into a blender with ice, raspberry preserves, and vodka – yum! (Can you tell we are in summer mode over here?). We have also made grilled salmon with lemon and rosemary and I put a generous handful of thyme into my zucchini and corn fritters. Our parsley on the other hand has tripled in size and was the inspiration for this salad.

We typically prefer grains such as farro or quinoa and when we do make pasta it’s usually as a special treat main dish. This, however, was the first time I cooked Israeli couscous and I loved its texture and versatility. It takes about 10 minutes to cook on the stove and can be enjoyed warm or cold.

For this dish I experimented with Giada’s recipe as a base. The spinach and parsley brought the salad together and the cucumber and shallots added a fresh crunch. We brought this cold salad to an outdoor summer BBQ potluck and it paired well with the salmon and grilled veggies.

In the future I could see adding sunflower seeds, roasted chicken, or tomato. What are your favorite adaptations for a couscous salad?

Sharing this dish at Fiesta Friday this week which is co-hosted by Mara @ Put on Your Cake Pants and Hilda @ Along the Grapevine

Israeli Couscous Salad with Cucumber, Spinach, and Parsley

Servings: 4-5
Time: 5 prep + 15 cook = 20 mins
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This Israeli cous cous salad is the foundation for many easy weeknight meals.!

Ingredients

8 oz Israeli couscous
1/2 cucumber – cut into 1/8 pieces
2 large handfuls of spinach – chopped
1 3/4 cup chicken stock
1 shallot – minced
1/2 cup feta
2 Tablespoons of fresh parsley (or more if you like)
1/2 cup Red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Paprika
Crushed red pepper
Salt and Pepper

Steps & Notes

In a large flat saucepan saute the couscous in oil for 4 minutes
Then, carefully add 1 3/4 cup chicken stock carefully and slowly bringing it to a boil each time before adding more
- Note: do this step carefully as the combination of oil and water can be tricky
Reduce to a simmer then cover and cook for 10 minutes
Cut the cucumbers and shallot and place them in a bowl with the feta
Then cut the spinach and parsley
Make a quick dressing by combining Red wine vinegar and olive oil, crushed red pepper, paprika, salt and pepper. Shake well to fully combine
When the couscous is done the stock will be fully soaked into the couscous. Stir and cook for 30 extra seconds with the lid off if necessary
Turn off the heat and add 1/2 of the dressing to the couscous and mix well.
Add the spinach to the couscous – stir gently. Then add the parsley
In a clean bowl add the couscous and top with the cucumber, shallots, and feta. Pour the remaining dressing over the di, mix gently, and serve.

Possible Modifications

Add a protein such as baked chicken
Top with some extra crunchy sunflower seeds
Add cherry tomatoes

Tags: Cous Cous, Cucumber, Feta, Shallots, Spinach

4 comments

Hilda · August 3, 2018 - 1:41 pm · Reply→

Recipes for salads like this one are so handy to have on hand in the summer for potlucks, visits to the cottage and just for every day. I have only used Israeli couscous a couple of times, but thanks for reminding me how well they work in salads. I think your ingredients are right on, but since you ask, I might add some kind of fresh summer berry just for the fun of it.

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Tasty Eats Ronit Penso · August 3, 2018 - 3:40 pm · Reply→

This looks so delicious! Love the different textures and flavors.
I am a big fan of Israeli couscous (grew up on it in Israel) and use it in different ways. If interested, check this link for some of my recipes using it. 🙂
https://ronitpenso.wordpress.com/?s=israeli+couscous

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CakePants · August 3, 2018 - 8:29 pm · Reply→

This looks so refreshing and flavorful! I just cooked Israeli couscous for the first time last month (we’ve been eating it in a salad with falafel) and am pretty much obsessed. I’ll have to give this a try sometime – as well as your suggestion of raspberry preserves, vodka, and basil! Thanks for bringing this to Fiesta Friday 🙂

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indianeskitchen · August 15, 2018 - 10:42 am · Reply→

Looks delicious!

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Israeli Couscous Salad with Cucumber, Spinach, and Parsley