Fruit couscous salad with herbs & feta

This fruit couscous salad with herbs and feta is light and bright with juicy summer fruit and aromatic herbs. It's a lovely mix of textures and flavors, and makes a tasty lunch or side dish.

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I don't know about you, but warm days tend to make me want something light and easy for lunch with salads often fitting that need. That said, I equally don't want to feel hungry right after I've eaten.

This Israeli couscous salad is loaded up with juicy fruit, bright herbs and a little burst of salty cheese to give lots of light, bright flavors, but with enough bulk to fill you up. It comes together easily and fits in perfectly with those warm summer days.

What is Israeli couscous?

Israeli couscous, also known as giant or pearl couscous is essentially a small pasta, made with semolina flour. Unlike Moroccan couscous which is much smaller and traditionally made by hand, this larger couscous is made by machine.

Israeli couscous is typically toasted, not quite as much as fregola but still a little to give some more flavor. The name apparently comes from when it was created in Israel during a time of food rationing. The government asked a manufacturer to create a wheat product as a rice replacement. Pearl couscous is technically a little different and can be even bigger, especially the Lebanese version. However the name can be used for the Israeli couscous size, too.

What they all have in common, though, is they can take on flavor and be pretty versatile. You can use it as a simple side in itself, make it into salads like this and my Israeli couscous salad with grilled vegetables, or add it to soups and stews. 

How to make this summery couscous salad

This salad is really easy to make as the only cooking is a quick toast and simmer of the couscous, then a little bit of chopping. You can do the chopping as the couscous cooks and cools, too.

If you think the fruit, herbs and feta is an odd combination, believe me, it works. They're all fresh and the fruit adds lots of lightness and juiciness, which balances out the slightly heavier couscous.

Ways to adapt the salad

I really like this as it is, but there are a number of ways you can adapt this salad:

• Use different fresh fruit, such as strawberries, mango or cherries.
• Add in some dried fruit, either instead of or as well as the fresh fruit, like dried apricots, cranberries and/or raisins.
• Add some nuts for a bit more texture, like toasted pine nuts, almonds or pistachios.
• Use a different cheese (or skip it) - goat cheese or chunks of burrata would work well, for example.
• Change the dressing, such as to a balsamic vinaigrette, French vinaigrette or my lemon basil vinaigrette (if you use basil, you may want to not use mint) .

You can also change the quantities of the ingredients to taste, too. Think of it as a base to play around with, and adapt to your taste and what you have.

Make ahead options

If you prefer, you can cook the couscous a day or two ahead, store it in the fridge, then just make everything up when you need it. To save the couscous sticking to itself too much, make sure you add the oil as you would after cooking generally, though I'd probably hold off on the lemon juice. That way, it will be a bit brighter when you add it as you mix everything together.

You can also make the whole salad a few hours ahead to take with you for lunch or a potluck - just refrigerate until needed. The only thing is remember it is still full of fresh fruit and herbs so they will lose some of their texture if left too long.

This fruit couscous salad with herbs and feta is light, refreshing and colorful. Plus, it's packed with healthy goodness and quick to make. I know some people have a thing about fruit in salads, but to me, it's a great summery combination, and well worth a try.

Try these other summer salads:

• Elote-style corn and black bean salad - another easy, tasty mix with a flavorful creamy dressing that's perfect for potlucks.
• Tropical fruit salad - packed with bright, refreshing fruit, it's as good for breakfast as it is for a summer potluck.
• Halloumi and watermelon salad - another great salad with that fruit and cheese mix.
• Plus get more summer recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

This post was first shared in June 2016 and has been updated, primarily with new photos and additional information and tips.

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