Israeli couscous salad with grilled vegetables

This Israeli couscous salad is loaded up with grilled vegetables, herbs and a lemony dressing. It's easy to make and easy to adapt depending on what you have. It's also perfect to make ahead, can be a side or light meal, so great for summer entertaining, picnics or any excuse.

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Pasta salads are a popular choice at potlucks in the summer, though I have to say they are often not my favorite. Some I find too heavy on the mayo, or just a bit too plain. And don't get me started on if they are left out too long.

While this isn't necessarily a dish just to add to a potluck table, it would certainly work well, just as it would for picnics, to take for lunch or eat as a side for any meal. It has a bright lemon and herb dressing, lots of veggie additions and is easy to change up as suits, too.

What is Israeli couscous?

Israeli couscous, also known as giant or pearl couscous are kind of like a large version of couscous, or a small pasta, made with semolina flour. Technically, there are slight differences between the different names, though you can for the most part use them interchangeably.

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 to replace rice. Pearl couscous can be even bigger, especially the Lebanese version, but 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 fruit, herb and feta Israeli couscous salad or add it to soups and stews. 

Ways to adapt this salad

You can pretty much use any vegetables in this dish, but I find the mix of colors and flavors I have used here works well. It's easier to cook the vegetables in larger pieces and then chop them after cooking to mix through with the couscous.

If you can't grill outside, then you can also use a grill pan inside, and the corn could then be boiled instead. However if you can grill, I really recommend it for the great flavor it adds. Plus it's really quick and easy. I don't always add tomatoes, but they go add a lovely extra burst of flavor and texture.

Other things you could add to this include:

• Other grilled vegetables such as asparagus, mushrooms, eggplant or fava beans (cooked in the pods)
• Jarred/preserved vegetables like sun dried tomatoes, olives or artichokes
• Nuts such as pine nuts or slithered almonds (I'd recommend toasted)
• Feta cheese, or other cheese crumbles/cubes
• Proteins like chicken or shrimp (both great to grill at the same time as the veg!).

I made a lemon basil vinaigrette to mix in with this, then also added in some chopped parsley, but you could also use other herbs like tarragon, cilantro and chives. I do definitely recommend using some herbs in there to add to the fresh flavor. You could add other dressings but I'd suggest you keep them pretty light.

This salad works well as a meal in itself, either as a light dinner or lunch, but you can also make it a side dish to a range of mains. Grilled meat, fish and shrimp all work well, and I can see smoked chicken legs pairing well, too.

This Israeli couscous salad with grilled vegetables is wonderfully adaptable, and also great for making ahead. It will keep in the fridge a couple days, ready to serve at a potluck, picnic or whenever else suits. It's bright, light and easy to scale up and down. Perfect summer's eating!

Try these other summery sides:

• Fattoush salad (a bright chopped salad with crunchy pita chips)
• Marinated zucchini and summer squash
• Panzanella salad (a simple Italian bread and tomato salad)
• Plus get more ideas in the summer recipes and sides archives.

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This recipe was first shared in June 2015 and has been updated, primarily with new photos. 

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