This easy-to-make side dish truly takes advantage of when fresh basil and cherry or grape tomatoes are in season. Add in chickpeas or garbanzo beans, pearl couscous, and a simple balsamic vinaigrette for a salad that pairs well with almost any summer meal. Oh, and don’t forget the crumbled feta, because cheese makes every summer salad side dish even more irresistible.

My vegetable gardening years are over. Happily. After several successful and some not-so-successful years of attempting to grow almost every vegetable commonly grown in a household garden, I have thrown in the towel. It’s not worth the itchy rashes caused by plant leaves, the ever-increasing cost of plants, or the constant harassment from mosquitoes and gnats while trying to weed, water, and pick vegetables. I’m over it. A person can handle only so many bug bites. From now on, I can walk or drive my lazy butt down the street to my local farmer’s market each week and buy what I need. Now sure, I’ll still keep an herb garden and a cherry or grape tomato plant around on my back deck, however, that’s not really what I would call gardening. It’s more like a little bit of garnish and an occasional tomato snack. So, before I lose my basil and potted tomato plants, due to lack of watering, this is the salad I want to enjoy them in. And, eventually, when those plants do kick the bucket, I’ll just go buy the ingredients from the farmer’s market. I’m not gonna let myself lose sleep over a couple of little herb and tomato plants.

Ingredients:

Couscous:

• 1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup Pearl Couscous
• 1 Cup Cold Water

Salad:

• 2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
• Pinch of Finely Ground Sea Salt
• 1 (16-oz.) Can of Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans, Drained & Rinsed
• 1 1/2 Cups Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, Halved
• 1/3 Cup Finely Chopped Fresh Basil
• 1/4 Cup Crumbled Feta

Directions:

Couscous:

1. Place the olive oil and couscous in a medium saucepot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes or until toasted.
2. Add water and bring the couscous to a boil.
3. When the water is boiling, Cover the saucepot with a lid, turn the heat down to medium-low, and then cook for 12 to 14 minutes, or until all of the water has cooked out and the couscous is cooked through.
4. Allow the couscous to cool slightly.

Salad:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, onion powder, pepper, and salt.
2. Add the chickpeas or garbanzo beans, halved tomatoes, and chopped basil to the bowl along with the slightly cooled couscous.
3. Stir gently to combine.
4. Garnish with crumbled feta.

Suggestions:

• Toasting the couscous gives it a lovely color and flavor. Make sure to stir it constantly to prevent burning.
• I garnished this salad with feta instead of mixing it in. It looks prettier and the feta doesn’t break up into little pieces.
• You may need to add more salt to this recipe, depending on the saltiness of the feta cheese you use.
• I used fresh basil in this recipe because it’s what I had on hand. You can use any mixture of fresh herbs. Fresh oregano, thyme, parsley, chives, and dill would all taste lovely in this side dish.

Improvements:

• Add halved or sliced black or green olives to the salad.
• For a main dish, add shredded chicken, grilled or steamed shrimp, diced ham, or sliced browned or grilled kielbasa to this couscous and chickpea salad.
• Serve this salad with these Lemony Mayonnaise Cod, Shrimp, and Asparagus Parchment Paper Wrapped Bundles or these Simple Oven-Baked Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloins.
• Add diced cucumber to this side dish.

Print

Yum

Pearl Couscous & Chickpea Salad with Basil

Ingredients:

Couscous:
• 1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup Pearl Couscous
• 1 Cup Cold Water
Salad:
• 2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
• Pinch of Finely Ground Sea Salt
• 1 (16-oz.) Can of Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans, Drained & Rinsed
• 1 1/2 Cups Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, Halved
• 1/3 Cup Finely Chopped Fresh Basil
• 1/4 Cup Crumbled Feta

Directions:

Couscous:
1. Place the olive oil and couscous in a medium saucepot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes or until toasted.
2. Add water and bring the couscous to a boil.
3. When the water is boiling, Cover the saucepot with a lid, turn the heat down to medium-low, and then cook for 12 to 14 minutes, or until all of the water has cooked out and the couscous is cooked through.
4. Allow the couscous to cool slightly.
Salad:
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, onion powder, pepper, and salt.
6. Add the chickpeas or garbanzo beans, halved tomatoes, and chopped basil to the bowl along with the slightly cooled couscous.
7. Stir gently to combine.
8. Garnish with crumbled feta.

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Make sure to check out all of the other great Sunday Funday recipes for “Chickpeas” below. A huge thanks to Sneha’s Recipe for hosting this event.

• Sneha’s Recipe: Air Fryer Roasted Chickpeas
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Chickpea and Farro Soup
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Chole Bhature
• Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Greek Seasoned Roasted Chickpeas
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Pearl Couscous & Chickpea Salad with Basil
• Food Lust People Love: Roasted Salmon with Crispy Chickpea Salsa
• Palatable Pastime: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus