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Home > Vegan Recipes

Vegan Mediterranean Salad with Couscous and Chickpeas

6/4/20 by Nicole | 1 Comment

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5 from 2 votes. Leave a review!

This vegan Mediterranean salad with couscous and chickpeas is a delicious vegan lunch recipe or a tasty side dish for a dinner meal or potluck! The bright and fresh flavors of parsley and lemon, together with Mediterranean spices, makes a flavorful vegan couscous salad.

Vegan Mediterranean salad with chickpeas, couscous, cucumber, carrot, red pepper, parsley in large glass bowl with wooden spoon

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Nutritionally Balanced Vegan Mediterranean Salad

This vegan Mediterranean salad recipe is nutritionally balanced all on its own! To consider a meal balanced, it should contain a good source of protein, carbohydrates (including fiber), healthy fats and vegetables.

Couscous is a grain which provides complex carbs with fiber. Choose a whole grain couscous if possible for extra fiber.

Chickpeas are great for providing plant-based protein, carbs and even more fiber!

The olive oil in the dressing is our source of heart healthy fats which not only make this salad taste amazing, they also help with satiation (making you feel full and satisfied). Fats are also essential to help with absorption of nutrients.

Lastly, any good salad contains veggies and we’re using a few different colored vegetables today for lots of flavor and variety. Differently colored vegetables offer different nutrients and antioxidants!

Vegan couscous salad with chickpeas in square wooden bowl topped with wooden spoonful of salad and lemon, parsley, cucumber in background

Meal Prep a Vegan Couscous Salad

Couscous salad is ideal for meal prep because you can toss the dressing onto the salad and not worry about any ingredients going soggy through the week.

In fact, the flavours tend to come together and improve the overall taste after a day or two in the fridge. This couscous salad should last in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Sometimes, the couscous absorbs the liquid from the dressing so the salad may seem a bit drier towards the end of the week. It’s perfectly okay to add some extra dressing or mash in some avocado to make up for the lost moisture!

Types of Couscous: Which is Best for Salads?

Couscous is essentially very tiny pasta, often made from wheat but it can also be made from barley. There are different types of couscous including:

  • Moroccan couscous: this is the smallest in size and typically what you would find in a Canadian grocery store simply labeled couscous. Since the pieces are so tiny it cooks extremely quickly. You can buy white or whole wheat versions of this couscous.
  • Israeli couscous: also known as pearl couscous. The larger pieces take longer to cook.
  • Lebanese couscous: even larger than pearl couscous and will take the longest to cook.

All three varieties are great but my preference is Moroccan couscous because it’s so quick and simple to make. I also always opt for the whole wheat varieties for additional fibre (which will also help keep you feeling fuller for longer).

Different varieties also work better in certain recipes compared to others. In this cold salad preparation I’m using Moroccan couscous. This is a great whole grain staple ingredient to keep on hand in a vegan pantry.

Vegan Mediterranean chickpea salad with Moroccan couscous in large glass bowl with wooden spoon and parsley with lemon in background

Nutritional Value of Vegan Mediterranean Salad with Couscous and Chickpeas

This Mediterranean couscous salad recipe is simple to prepare and packs in great nutrition.

This recipe contains four out of the six food groups recommended for a balanced plant-based diet: whole grains, legumes, vegetables and herbs/ spices. Each food group provides its own health benefits and balance of nutrients.

The two missing food groups are nuts or seeds and fruit. Since there’s lots of vegetables, fruit isn’t strictly necessary but you could certainly add some for a bit of sweetness!

Nuts and seeds would add additional healthy fat, plant-based protein, fiber and some vitamins and minerals that are essential for plant-based eating patterns. I have added walnuts to this salad in the past and it’s a tasty addition so feel free to do so if you want an extra nutrition boost!

Overhead view of square wooden bowl of vegan couscous chickpea salad with spoonfull of salad resting on top

If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!

Close up of a large glass bowl filled with couscous salad.

Vegan Mediterranean Salad with Couscous and Chickpeas

This fresh and tasty vegan Mediterranean salad recipe is simple to make and perfect to pack as a lunch for the week! Enjoy the bright and fresh flavors, and filling couscous and chickpeas.
5 from 2 votes. Leave a review!
Prevent screen going dark
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 8 Servings (as a side dish)
Calories 284 kcal
Cuisine Mediterranean-inspired, Vegan

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • Large bowl
  • Can opener
  • Box grater
  • Jar(s)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup couscous , uncooked
  • 1 ½ cups chickpeas (15 oz can, drained and rinsed)
  • ¾ cup fresh parsley
  • 1 ½ cups carrot
  • ½ cup green onion
  • 1 ½ cups red pepper (1 medium to large-sized pepper)
  • 1 ½ cups cucumber

Dressing

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 6 tablespoons lemon juice , freshly squeezed
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
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Instructions

  • Prepare the couscous according to package directions. Once cooked, fluff it gently with a fork (try and remove any large clumps) and place it in the fridge to cool off.
    1 cup couscous
  • Rinse and drain the canned chickpeas.
    1 ½ cups chickpeas
  • Prepare the veggies: finely mince the parsley, shred the carrot, slice the green onions and finely dice the red pepper and cucumber.
    ¾ cup fresh parsley, 1 ½ cups carrot, ½ cup green onion, 1 ½ cups red pepper, 1 ½ cups cucumber
  • Whisk the dressing ingredients. I like to shake them in a jar.
    1 tablespoon lemon zest, 6 tablespoons lemon juice, 6 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • Toss everything together and serve!

Video

Notes

Accuracy of nutrition information cannot be guaranteed (certain ingredients may not have all nutrients listed in the database); amounts may vary (and will vary depending on brands of ingredients used); all nutrition fact values rounded to the nearest whole number.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Serving (⅛ recipe)Calories: 284 kcalCarbohydrates: 38 gProtein: 8 gFat: 12 gSaturated Fat: 2 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2 gMonounsaturated Fat: 8 gSodium: 290 mgPotassium: 343 mgFiber: 7 gSugar: 8 gVitamin A: 6275 IUVitamin C: 50 mgCalcium: 65 mgIron: 2 mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Vegan Side Dish Recipes

Like this recipe? You should also try:

  • Close up of a glass bowl filled with vegan mashed potatoes topped with butter and chives.
    Vegan Mashed Potatoes Recipe (with Roasted Garlic)
  • Close up of a pile of cauliflower wings.
    Vegan Cauliflower Wings (with BBQ Sauce)
  • Close up of three partially-cropped bowls of tabbouleh (bulgur, parsley, tomato, red onion).
    Vegan Tabbouleh Salad Recipe
  • Close up of a bowl filled with black bean corn salsa with tomato, red onion, cilantro and lime wedges.
    Black Bean and Corn Salsa Recipe

About Nicole Stevens

Nicole is a vegan Registered Dietitian (RD) and founder of Lettuce Veg Out.

She helps people thrive on a vegan diet with balanced recipes and easy-to-understand nutrition science.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jeannette Stevens

    June 08, 2020 at 7:02 pm

    So easy and delicious!

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Nicole! As a vegan Registered Dietitian, I empower vegans to live a balanced life and gain confidence in the kitchen.

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