I can hardly believe May is halfway over already! When the temperatures start to climb and I’m definitely feeling the heat, my lunch of choice is either a nice, fresh, healthy green salad… or an ice cream cone. There’s no halfway point for me. On this day, I happened to choose wisely and happily ate my Israeli Couscous Salad with a wonderful Honey Lemon Vinaigrette.
No guarantee I’ll turn down that ice cream cone tomorrow!
This salad recipe is very versatile. It’s delicious as written, but the options are unlimited! Look in your fridge and pantry and see what you have that follows a similar framework.
Here are a couple of ways you could adapt it with what you have on hand. Any kind of pasta or grain would be delicious in place of the couscous – like quinoa, farro, rotini. Any tangy crumbly cheese would be great for the feta. Add a roasted veggie you have on hand instead of or in addition to the sun-dried tomatoes. Asparagus would be amazing! Maybe you’d rather have a plant-based protein? White beans would be perfect. Need more crunch in your salads? Add roasted chickpeas, crumbled pita chips, or toasted pine nuts.
The vinaigrette is what makes all these ingredients really come together. It’s so simple! Just freshly squeezed lemon juice, honey, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and oil! The lemon juice adds such a beautiful brightness and the honey balances out all the acidity. The mustard doesn’t add too much flavor but helps the dressing to emulsify all the ingredients together.
That’s one happy forkful!
I like to add a little bit of the vinaigrette to the couscous, and this could be done ahead of time. When you assemble the salad, add more to taste.
With loose recipes with plenty of room for adaption on hand like this one, salads happen more often the ice cream cones. But do treat yourself to an ice cream cone for lunch every now and then. It’ll cool you down on a hot summer day and you’ll feel like a kid again.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #lovelylittlekitchen
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PrintIsraeli Couscous Salad With Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 27 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Israeli Couscous Salad with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette is so fresh, bright, and satisfying. It’s delicious as written, but the options are unlimited!
Ingredients
For the Couscous
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3/4 cups Israeli couscous
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
For the Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons vinegar (I used a white balsamic)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup oil (I used olive oil)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
For the Salad
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- 4 cups mixed baby greens
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1–2 cups chicken, sliced or cubed (I used a rotisserie)
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, torn
- Sprinkle of Everything But the Bagel Sesame Seasoning from Trader Joes (optional)
Instructions
For the Couscous
- Melt butter over medium high heat and add couscous in a small pan. Toast couscous lightly until fragrant and golden brown, stirring constantly. Add broth and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low, cover, and cook 10-12 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
For the Vinaigrette
- Add lemon juice, vinegar, honey, mustard, and oil to a small mason jar with a pinch of salt and a few turns of freshly ground pepper and screw the lid on securely. Shake well until emulsified.
For the Salad
- Add 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette to the cooled couscous. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes. In a large bowl, layer baby greens, couscous, feta cheese, and sliced chicken. Tear fresh basil leaves over the top of the salad and sprinkle with Everything But the Bagel Seasoning (optional). Add additional vinaigrette to taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 440
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 516mg
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated Fat: 7.1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17.5g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 8.8g
- Protein: 21g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
israli says
As an Israeli, I loved this dish!