Try Our Toasted Couscous Salad with Arugula, Dates & Feta
Since Earth Day falls on the same day as Linda’s birthday, we decided to throw a big celebration to honor both Linda and our great planet! It was a totally meatless party, so of course we had to throw a good salad in the mix: this toasted couscous salad with feta.
This couscous salad with feta is super fresh and delicious. It would make a great weekday lunch (especially if backed in one of these lunch boxes) or a wonderful side dish for a summer barbecue or another meal that needs something light. It’ll be a hit with your family and friends.
Simple Ingredients
Salads don’t need to be complicated to be delicious. For this salad, you can easily find the ingredients at your local supermarket or farmer’s market. Try to find the arugula and cucumber from a local grower, to make this couscous salad particularly eco-friendly. Don’t stress about the homemade salad dressing either—in fact, it’s so simple you’ll probably want to make all your dressings from scratch from now on.
With minimal shopping needed and minimal preparation, there’s a lot to love about this simple salad. And the toasty couscous combined with the feta make this dish anything but basic.
Health-Conscious Eating
We love food that’s rich in nutrients. Couscous contains niacin which can help you have more energy throughout the day. The vitamin K from the arugula has been shown to be anti-inflammatory and can help strengthen your bones.
This toasted couscous salad recipe is a quick and easy meal with some delicious feta cheese and arugula that will keep you nourished and energized throughout the day.
Of course, the dates provide another level of flavor and fiber to an already nutrient-rich salad. All the ingredients in this recipe were carefully selected to make sure your salad is as well balanced as the colors and designs in the kitchen you’re making it in.
Now Create the Rest of Your Menu
Between the nutritional value and satisfying taste of this salad, we were delighted to add this dish to our celebration. As much as we love salad, your party might need a few more dishes, though.
Don’t sleep on our Falafel Sliders with Cumin-Chile Yogurt Sauce. Or start your meal off with Halloumi & Zucchini Kebabs with Cilantro Sauce as appetizers. These kebabs are a superstar mashup of halloumi cheese and zucchini with a bit of zing from the cilantro and lime sauce.
Toasted Couscous Salad with Arugula, Dates & Feta
Serve up something toasted, yet refreshing with this easy salad.
SERVES: 8
ACTIVE: 25 MIN
TOTAL: 30 MIN (PLUS COOLING)
Ingredients:
1 cup whole-wheat Israeli couscous
Toasted couscous
1 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 cup crumbled feta
¾ cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 ½ cups baby arugula
Instructions
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil.
Heat a medium skillet over medium. Add the couscous and cook, stirring often, until it smells toasty and turns a slightly darker shade of gold, about 6 minutes.
Stir the toasted couscous into the boiling water. Simmer until the couscous is tender, about 10 minutes, then drain.
In a large bowl, toss the couscous, cucumber, feta, dates, mint, and parsley.
In a small bowl, whisk the oil and lemon juice. Season the dressing generously with salt and pepper.
Toss the couscous with the dressing. Cover and refrigerate until the flavors meld, at least 1 hour.
Before serving, let the couscous come to room temperature. Toss with the arugula and season again.
