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Vegan couscous salad with spring vegetables, vegan feta, and a lemon vinaigrette served in a large bowl with a garnish of fresh mint and parsley.

Vegan Pearl Couscous Salad with Spring Vegetables

This Vegan Pearl Couscous Salad with Spring Vegetables is a light, fresh dish made with chewy pearl couscous, asparagus, green peas, and crisp cucumber tossed in a simple lemon vinaigrette.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Liv King

Ingredients
 

Couscous

  • 1 ½ cups Pearl Couscous
  • ½ tablespoon Olive Oil
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt see note
  • 1 ¾ cup Water

Salad Ingredients

  • 1 cup Chopped Asparagus woody ends removed
  • 1 cup Frozen Peas
  • 1 cup Chopped Sugar Snap Peas
  • 1 cup Diced Cucumbers
  • 1 cup Arugula roughly chopped
  • ⅓ cup Packed Parsley finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons Mint finely minced
  • 2 Green Onions finely chopped
  • ½ cup Vegan Feta

Lemon Vinaigrette

  • ¼ cup Olive Oil
  • 3 tablespoons Lemon Juice
  • 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup or agave
  • 2 tablespoons Finely Minced Shallot
  • 1 Garlic Clove minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
  • ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt see note
  • Black Pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Make the couscous by adding the olive oil over medium heat to a medium-sized pot. Add the pearl couscous and toast for 2–3 minutes until lightly golden.
  • Pour in the water and kosher salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10–12 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
  • Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the chopped asparagus and frozen peas. Blanch for 1–2 minutes until vibrant green and just tender, then immediately drain and run under cold water until cooled. Set aside to dry.
  • In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, minced shallot, garlic, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
  • While the couscous cools, chop the veggies into evenly sized pieces and finely chop the herbs.
  • In a large bowl, combine cooked and cooled couscous, blanched veggies, snap peas, cucumber, arugula, parsley, mint, green onions and vegan feta.
  • If serving immediately, drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss well to coat.
  • If you're making this ahead or serving it later, it's best to store the dressing separately and toss it in just before serving. The couscous absorbs the dressing over time, which can make the flavors less fresh the next day. It's still delicious, just a bit more mellow.

Notes

Fluff cooked couscous and let it cool in a bowl. If it clumps, just fluff again before adding the rest of the ingredients. 
Making it ahead? Store the dressing separately and toss before serving— couscous absorbs it fast, so dress right before eating!
Important Note about Salt: Not all salts are made equal and cannot be substituted 1:1. If you are substituting table salt for kosher salt, you will need to cut the amount called for in the recipe by at least half.
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