Looking for an easy and satisfying pasta side dish? Try this fluffy wheat couscous salad with tangy Kalamata olives, juicy cherry or grape tomatoes, and creamy fresh mozzarella pearls. With minimal time and effort, you can create a substantial pasta salad that is perfect for any occasion. Plus, it’s easy to stretch out to serve larger crowds by simply adding fresh vegetables or Italian deli meat to the mix.
I’ve mentioned before, that when it comes to this time of year, B.O.B. Bob and I start having snacky dinners almost fifty percent of the time because as soon as our local farmer’s markets open up for the season, we can’t get enough fresh vegetables, cheeses, and fruits each week. It’s so easy to grab little bits of this and that, throw them on a plate, and declare, “Dinner’s ready.” This couscous pasta salad is kind of the same thing. It takes a little bit of this and a little bit of that and transforms quick easy-to-make couscous into a lovely side dish. And, if you want to go a step further and just go ahead and make a meal out of this dish, you can always add things to it, like freshly chopped onion, carrots, or peppers. A little bit of diced Italian deli meat wouldn’t be a bad idea either. Whether you serve this pasta salad as a side dish or a meal is all up to you. I know that we’ll be enjoying it both ways over the next few months, and most likely bringing it along with us to a a few weekend get-togethers as well.
Ingredients:
Couscous:
- 1 1/2 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Sea Salt
- 1 Cup Wheat Couscous
Salad:
- 1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/4 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 10-oz. Halved Cherry or Grape Tomatoes (Approximately 1 3/4 Cups)
- 8-oz. Fresh Mozzarella Pearls
- 1 Cup Kalamata Olives
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Directions:
Couscous:
- Over high heat, bring the chicken broth, olive oil, and sea salt to a rolling boil in a medium-sized sauce pot.
- When the broth mixture is boiling, remove it from the heat and add the couscous. Stir well to combine and cover. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Salad:
- While the couscous is resting, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried oregano, finely ground black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and onion powder in a large glass bowl.
- Add the couscous to the bowl and stir well to combine. Allow the couscous to cool to room temperature, stirring it every 5 to 10 minutes.
- When the couscous has cooled, stir in the mozzarella, tomatoes, and olives.
- Garnish with freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve immediately or cover tightly to refrigerate.
Suggestions:
- You can replace the low-sodium chicken broth in this recipe with vegetable broth or water. If you use water, the couscous will obviously have less flavor.
- Make sure to use wheat couscous for this recipe and not Israeli couscous. Israeli couscous is much larger and requires actual cooking time.
- You can halve or chop the Kalamata olives if you prefer. I like to leave them whole so that anyone who doesn’t like them can easily pick them out of the salad.
- The balsamic vinegar, mozzarella, and olives will each give this couscous salad a salty flavor. You will not need to add any additional salt.
Improvements:
- Replace the kalamata olives with green or black olives.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder to the couscous salad.
- This couscous salad is each to stretch out to serve larger crowds. Simply add fresh vegetables or Italian deli meat to the mix.
- Use crumbled feta cheese instead of fresh mozzarella pearls. Remember that feta is saltier than mozzarella, so you may need to adjust the amount used.
- CLICK HERE to find more delicious pasta salad recipes.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 Cup Wheat Couscous
- 1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/4 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 10-oz. Halved Cherry or Grape Tomatoes (Approximately 1 3/4 Cups)
- 8-oz. Fresh Mozzarella Pearls
- 1 Cup Kalamata Olives
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Directions:
- Over high heat, bring the chicken broth, olive oil, and sea salt to a rolling boil in a medium-sized sauce pot.
- When the broth mixture is boiling, remove it from the heat and add the couscous. Stir well to combine and cover. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- While the couscous is resting, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried oregano, finely ground black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and onion powder in a large glass bowl.
- Add the couscous to the bowl and stir well to combine. Allow the couscous to cool to room temperature, stirring it every 5 to 10 minutes.
- When the couscous has cooled, stir in the mozzarella, tomatoes, and olives.
- Garnish with freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve immediately or cover tightly to refrigerate.
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Olive & Feta Cheese Ham Biscuits
In 2024, we’ll be cooking and baking our way through the alphabet with several of our food blogger friends. Every other Wednesday, for the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, we’ll be sharing a new recipe featuring a consecutive letter of the alphabet, starting with A in January and ending with Z in December.
“A” – Dried Apple & Bourbon Oven-Baked Sauerkraut
“B” – Spicy Barbecue Seasoned Rice Chex Mix
“C” – Dove Dark Chocolate Chunk Cakey Muffins
“D” – Italian Deviled Eggs with Heart-Shaped Tomatoes
“E” – Buttery Everything Bagel Seasoning Biscuits
“F” – Butternut Squash Soup with French Herbes
“G” – Creamy Simple Stovetop Gouda Mac & Cheese
“H” – Sweet Honey Deviled Eggs with Fennel Fronds
“I” – Orange & Feta Italian Orzo Pasta Salad
“J” – Brown Sugar Caribbean Jerk Seasoning
“K” – Kalamata, Mozzarella, & Tomato Couscous Salad
“L” – Fresh Dill Deviled Eggs with a Hint of Lemon
“M” – Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Fresh Mint
“N” – Great Northern Bean Summer Caprese Salad
“O” – Firecracker Oatmeal Peanut Butter Blossoms
“P” – Creamy Potato Salad with Crunchy Fennel
“Q” – Butternut Squash Taco Ravioli with Queso Fresco
“R” – Cheeseburger Broccoli Rice Soup Casserole
“S” – Sweet Whiskey Skillet Teriyaki Chicken
“T” – Baked Chicken Tenders with Crushed Fritos
“U” – Unsweetened Coconut Oatmeal Peach Crisp
“V” – Sweet & Spicy Balsamic Vinegar Deviled Eggs
“W” – Whiskey-Soaked Raisin Baked Stove Top Stuffing
“X” – X’s & O’s (Hugs & Kisses) Brown Sugar Cookies
“Y” – Jalapeño Yellow Cornmeal Brown Sugar Cookies
“Z” – Zesty Italian Balsamic Baked Oyster Crackers
Please make sure to check out the other great “K” recipes below. A huge thanks to A Day in the Life on the Farm for hosting this 2024 Alphabet Challenge event.
- Kala Chana Batata Chaat by Sneha’s Recipe
- Kalamata, Mozzarella, & Tomato Couscous Salad by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Key Lime Mousse Tarts by Blogghetti
- Key Lime Pie Cocktails by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Khamang Kakdi by Mayuri’s Jikoni
- Korean Barbecue-Style Meatballs by Food Lust People Love
- Kung Pao Chicken by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Kwasnica (Polish Sauerkraut and Pork Soup) by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Purple Napa Kimchi by Culinary Cam
