Preserved Lemon Couscous Salad

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Preserved lemon couscous salad is a light, flavorful alternative to traditional pasta salads. Easy to assemble and equally delicious cold or warm, this is a staple side dish for summer entertaining.

This is my first couscous post on the blog! This is important enough to note because couscous is a pantry staple in our house. More than one evening it’s been my go-to starch to pair with a meal due to its quick cooking time and a certain nostalgia factor for me. I grew up eating couscous, although my mother almost never purchased the pearl couscous used for this recipe. In fact, I only started purchasing pearl couscous, also called Israeli couscous, within the past few years, and I love how versatile it is! The larger texture is perfect for use in quick soups or easy salads like this preserved lemon couscous salad, which you’ll definitely want to make soon. 

About a year or so ago I shared how I make preserved lemons in a blog post, and then I used them in a luscious lemon hummus recipe. I’m so glad to finally be sharing another recipes where you can use preserved lemons! They’re very typical in chicken and meat dishes, and I’m sure one or two of those will may their way onto the blog at some point, but as I am not primary-meat-maker in the house, you get lighter recipes from me. 😉

With summer right around the corner, and this week marking the first of our patio dinners, this just felt like the right recipe to share, although the last time I made it was about a month or so ago when it was FREEZING and I could only dream of warmer weather. So I suppose this is really a good year-round salad, but the flavors are bright and happy to me and always make me think of warmer weather.

If you’re planning a potluck or barbecue, this couscous salad is a brightly flavored side dish great to serve as an alternative to mayo-heavy potato or pasta salads. To me, a green salad and a pasta salad are “must have” sides for summer entertaining, and I love to change up flavors and keep a few different recipes on hand for variety.

I hope you enjoy my recipe for preserved lemon couscous salad! If you love it, or add a little spin to make it your own, leave me a comment below. I love to hear from you! 🙂

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Preserved Lemon Couscous Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups pearl couscous
• 1 3/4 cups water or broth
• 1 tbsp vinegar, champagne, white wine, or sherry preferred
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3 tbsp chopped preserved lemons
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup medium onion, about 1/2, finely diced
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 14 oz can drained and rinsed
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• chives or parsley to top, optional

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water or broth to a boil over medium high heat and stir in the couscous. Return to a boil and then cover the couscous and turn off the heat. Allow the couscous to sit 10 minutes to absorb the water.
2. While the couscous is cooking, heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium low heat. Add the slivered almonds and cook 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the almonds are lightly toasted. Remove the almonds from the heat and transfer the oil to a glass bowl. Set aside.
3. When the couscous is cooked, place in a large bowl and add all the ingredients, including the olive oil you used to toast the nuts. Mix well, adjust seasonings to taste.
4. Let sit up to 1 hour before serving, or refrigerate until needed, up to 2 days. May be served cold, at room temperature, or lightly warmed.

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