Heart-Healthy Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Bursting with fresh Mediterranean flavors, this Heart-Healthy Mediterranean Couscous Salad is a vibrant, nutritious dish perfect for any meal or occasion. Featuring wholesome whole wheat couscous as its base, this salad is packed with crisp cucumbers, juicy cherry tomatoes, briny kalamata olives, and aromatic red onion, all blended with a tangy lemon-garlic dressing made with heart-friendly extra virgin olive oil. Fresh parsley and crumbled feta cheese add bursts of herbaceous and creamy goodness to every bite. Ready in just 25 minutes, this easy-to-make salad is a delicious way to embrace the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Serve it as a refreshing side dish or a light lunch, chilled or at room temperature—it's as versatile as it is flavorful! Perfect for those seeking nutrient-rich, heart-healthy recipes.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat couscous
- 1.25 cups water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 0.25 cup lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium English cucumber
- 0.5 cup kalamata olives
- 0.25 cup red onion
- 0.5 cup fresh parsley
- 0.5 cup feta cheese
- 0.5 teaspoons salt
- 0.25 teaspoons black pepper
Instructions
Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the whole wheat couscous. Cover and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, until the couscous has absorbed all the water.
Fluff the couscous with a fork and let it cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.
Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, slice the olives, and finely chop the red onion and parsley.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled couscous, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onion, and parsley. Gently stir to combine.
Crumble the feta cheese over the couscous salad and drizzle with the prepared dressing.
Gently toss the salad to combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, adding more olive oil, lemon juice, salt or pepper as desired.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
1086 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 75.3 g | 97% | |
| Saturated Fat | 17.9 g | 89% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.5 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 67 mg | 22% | |
| Sodium | 3515 mg | 153% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 85.9 g | 31% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 16.2 g | 58% | |
| Total Sugars | 12.7 g | ||
| Protein | 23.5 g | 47% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.3 mcg | 2% | |
| Calcium | 650 mg | 50% | |
| Iron | 8.1 mg | 45% | |
| Potassium | 1357 mg | 29% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
