This summer couscous salad is the perfect summer salad with barely cooked zucchini, summer squash and corn. Some raisins are added for a Moroccan touch, and it's all tossed in a lemon-garlic vinaigrette.
Make this ahead and serve at room temperature. Take it to a potluck, serve at a dinner party, or make for a quick weeknight dinner.
Updated July 26, 2022
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The beauty of this summer salad is that zucchini, yellow summer squash and corn barely needs any cooking. Two - three minutes at the most. And couscous cooks up in 5 minutes.
Herbs like dill and mint make this summer couscous salad sing. But what makes this couscous salad special is the golden raisins.
It's a small thing, but raisins make grains salads come alive, like this Green Crispy Rice Salad with Herby Peas, one of my favorite salads on this blog.
What is couscous?
The type of couscous used in this recipe is Moroccan couscous, named for where it originated. It's very popular in North African dishes where meat is scarce, and is used as a main portion of most meals.
Surprising to most, couscous is neither a grain nor a seed. Rather, it’s a form of pasta made of semolina and wheat flour that's moistened with water, and tossed together until it forms little balls.
Interestingly, I found that this form of pasta is looked down upon by Italians, as many don't consider this a real pasta.
Ingredients for Summer Couscous Salad
- Moroccan couscous
- Zucchini
- Yellow summer squash
- Corn - use frozen if fresh corn isn't available
- Shallots
- Golden Raisins
- Pine nuts
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Recommended Equipment
Instructions
Step 1 (2 minutes + 30 minutes to macerate)
Make the vinaigrette. Make the vinaigrette, and smash a few garlic cloves. Add the garlic to the vinaigrette, and set aside.
Step 2 (7 minutes)
Make the couscous. Pour the couscous into a baking dish. Bring some vegetable broth to a boil, and pour over the couscous. Cover with plastic and let sit for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork
Step 3 (10 minutes)
Sauté the veggies. Dice the zucchini and yellow summer squash, and mince the shallot. Cut the corn kernels from the cob.
Combine in a pan with a little olive oil, along with raisins and pine nuts. Sauté only long enough for the veggies to be al dente, about 2 minutes.
Step 4 (3 minutes)
Finish with herbs. Combine the veggies with the couscous, and toss gently with the herbs. Remove the garlic from the vinaigrette, and dress the couscous salad with most of it.
Step 5
Serve. Serve at room temperature with a little extra dressing.
Make it Vegan
Use agave nectar in place of honey.
Variations
Add cooked chickpeas, or crispy chickpeas
Add sliced cherry tomatoes
Add feta cheese
Want more vegetarian and vegan dish ideas? I can help you. I have three newsletters for different topics: 1) Vegetarian Recipes, 2) Vegetarian Meal Plans, and 3) Vegetarian Tips for helping you to move to a more vegetarian diet. Choose which newsletters are most relevant to your lifestyle and you'll also get my 5 SECRETS TO FUSS-FREE VEGETARIAN DINNERS.
Summer Couscous Salad (Recipe)
Equipment
- 8" X 8" baking pan
- Plastic wrap
Ingredients
Lemon Dressing
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest loosely packed
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice juice from 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon honey
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Couscous Salad
- 1 cup vegetable broth (1 ¼ cup if cooking at high altitude)
- ¾ cup Moroccan style couscous
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced zucchini
- 1 cup diced yellow summer squash
- 1 cup corn kernels cut from a cob, or frozen
- ¼ cup finely chopped shallot
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons slivers of fresh mint
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, and olive oil. Add the smashed garlic cloves and let them macerate for 30 minutes.
- Bring the vegetable broth to a boil the microwave oven. Pour the couscous into a baking dish, and add the hot broth. Cover with plastic, and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- In a skillet over medium high heat, warm up the olive oil. Add the shallot, and cook for 1 minute. Add the squash, zucchini, corn, golden raisins, pine nuts and salt. Sauté for only 2 minutes, and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Serve at room temperature.
Kathleen
Such a light and flavorful side dish, heck I could've eaten the whole batch! Loved the instructions to saute the veggies, they had so much more flavor! Also so delish cold, leftover!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much! I so happy you liked it!
Michaela
We loved this salad!! Super hearty and delicious!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Yay!! That makes me so happy!
Julie
This salad is the perfect make and take. I took it to our neighborhood potluck and it was scarfed up in a jiffy. Making it again for the 4th!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thank you so much for letting me know - I'm thrilled that you enjoyed it!
Tristin
Brought this to a bbq and it was the perfect side dish! Everyone raved about it!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
It's a great potluck recipe for a BBQ! Thanks for letting me know!
Megan
Such a great salad for summer lunches. The golden raisins add just enough sweetness!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
The raisin totally make it for me! It's not the same without them 🙂