Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad
This Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad is a wonderful combination of raw and roasted tomatoes, roasted chickpeas, crumbled feta cheese, Persian cucumbers and loads of fresh herbs! It’s the perfect salad to pack for a picnic or to include in a lunchbox!
This recipe, while including lots of different ingredients, is all about the tomatoes. Roasted and raw tomatoes are used to create a rich flavor while still giving you the freshness of the raw tomatoes. You get all the deliciousness you’d want in a late-summer, early fall salad!
Roast half of the tomatoes per the linked recipe. The roasted tomatoes can be made a few days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
Make the roasted chickpeas ahead as well. Just follow the link in the recipe.
Once these components are prepared, the rest comes together in a snap.
Israeli couscous is actually a pasta, not a grain. It’s larger than traditional couscous which gives it a chewy texture. Cook it according to the package directions for about 9 minutes, then drain it and set it aside to cool.
To assemble the salad, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper in the bottom of a large bowl. Add the cooled couscous and toss.
Add sliced raw tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, chickpeas, basil, cucumbers and feta to the couscous and toss together.
Top with fresh herbs and a generous drizzle of olive oil!
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Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad
Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours & 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes, (half for roasting, half raw)
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 cup dry Israeli couscous
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, more if desired
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Leaves from 6 sprigs fresh thyme, more for garnish
- 1 & 1/2 cups roasted chickpeas, tossed with 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika before roasting
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, more for garnish
- 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Roast 2 cups of the cherry tomatoes according to this recipe. These can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for a few days.
Cook the couscous according to the package directions until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
In the bottom of a large bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the lemon juice, garlic, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Add the cooled couscous and toss. Slice the remaining raw cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl with the roasted tomatoes, the chickpeas, basil, cucumbers, and feta. Top with more fresh herbs and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Season to taste.
Chef’s Notes:
Roasted tomatoes can be made a few days in advance.
The roasted chickpeas should be made the same day they are being used to be at their crispiest texture..
Recipe by Love and Lemons
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