Fresh, vibrant and oh-so-delicious – this Pesto Couscous Veggie Salad features pearl couscous, plenty of tender-crisp vegetables, like asparagus and snap peas, mini pearls of mozzarella, crunchy nuts and a silky basil pesto sauce. Simple to prepare, incredibly flavorful, and nutritious, you’ll love this couscous with veggies recipe!
Featured comment: My husband asked for a giant salad for dinner tonight (crazy, right?) and this was just the ticket!! Such fresh, springy, delicious flavors!! Thank you!” Catherine
This pesto couscous veggie salad is perfect for meal prepping! It’s packable and portable, making it an ideal side dish for summer picnics, potlucks, barbecues, and more.
Update: This article was originally published in April 2017. I updated the post below to include more information about making this couscous pesto salad at home.
About this couscous with veggies recipe
Also lovingly referred to as a couscous pasta recipe that will give you a healthy spring glow like whoa! Let’s discuss.
This dish features al dente, chewy, teeny-tiny pearls of couscous pasta, beautiful fresh produce, and tasty add-ins tossed in silky, luscious, and smooth lemon-basil pesto. It’s studded with tender-crisp asparagus and sugar snap peas. Then, scattered with zesty sliced radishes, chopped leafy spinach, and delicate scallions. And, strewn with crunchy, salty almonds and dotted with creamy, cheesy, baby balls of Perline mozzarella!
It’s healthy and refreshing because just look at ALL that green! Yet cozy and comforting, because pearls of pasta!
Essentially, this vegetable couscous is life – with a healthy dose of cheese, because let’s face it, life needs cheese. Besides, we absolutely must balance out all the nutritional goodness with a touch of creamy decadence! (Wink wink!!)
Why you’ll love this veggie couscous
- Bright, fresh flavor! This pesto couscous salad is loaded with veggies and tossed with a vibrant lemon basil pesto — just look at all that green!
- 15 minutes of prep! Make the pesto while you cook the couscous, toss everything together, and serve the vegetable couscous salad. It’s a simple as that!
- Easy to customize! You can easily customize this flexible couscous recipe by swapping in different vegetables or by adding protein.
- Prep ahead! Both the pesto and couscous can be prepared and chilled a day or two ahead of time.
What is couscous?
Couscous is made from tiny steamed balls of semolina flour. While couscous is not made from a dough and it looks similar to grains, it is actually a type of pasta. Couscous is light and fluffy in texture.
There are three main types of couscous: traditional couscous, Israeli couscous, and Lebanese couscous.
- Traditional couscous — also known as Moroccan couscous — originated in Maghreb, Northwest Africa, where it was hand-rolled and irregularly shaped. However, these days it can be made by a machine. Traditional couscous is the smallest in size, and it’s light and fluffy in texture.
- Israeli couscous — also called ptitim, Jerusalem, or pearl couscous — has always been produced by machine. Pearl couscous is larger in size and resembles tiny pieces of pasta. It’s slightly chewy in texture with a moderately nutty flavor. This vegetable couscous recipe utilizes pearl couscous.
- Lebanese couscous — also referred to as Moghrabieh — is the largest variety of couscous.
Couscous is an incredibly versatile ingredient! While it was traditionally served with stews or saucy main dishes, couscous also makes a wonderful quick and easy side dish! It’s delicious when mixed with seasonal vegetables, fresh herbs, sweet fruit, and tender meats!
Ingredients for this pesto couscous
- Couscous: I typically use Israeli (or pearl) couscous in this recipe, because it won’t get lost in the other ingredients. Plus, it really adds that pasta-like chewy texture.
- Asparagus: Choose crisp stalks with vibrant green color for the best quality. Trim and cut into 1″ pieces, keeping the tips separate as those take less time to cook.
- Snap Peas: Snow peas will work in a pinch, but they won’t have the same crunch that makes this couscous veggie salad so great.
- Spinach Leaves: Remove the stems, discard any leaves that appear discolored or wilted, and give them a good chop.
- Radishes & Scallions: Be sure to clean these thoroughly before cutting into thin slices. You could also use a mandoline for the radishes — just watch those fingers!
- Almonds: Either raw or roasted will work for this recipe. I recommend using unsalted almonds, so they don’t overpower the rest of the dish.
- Mozzarella: If your local store doesn’t carry Perline mozzarella balls, substitute Bocconcini, or even shredded fresh mozzarella.
- Lemon Basil Pesto: Whip this up in your food processor in minutes! Pulse together fresh basil leaves, garlic, toasted pine nuts, parmesan, and lemon juice until everything is finely chopped. Then, run the food processor while slowly pouring in the olive oil to create an emulsion — this prevents the mixture from separating.
Recipe variations
Want to make some changes to this veggie couscous salad? Wonderful! This recipe is totally customizable and very forgiving. Feel free to add in whatever fresh vegetables you have hanging around your kitchen. Depending on your preference, you can cook the vegetables (roast, sauté, grill or steam), or add them to the couscous raw. Or, you can use up those leftover roasted, grilled, or sautéed vegetables taking up space in your refrigerator.
- Sliced zucchini
- Halved Sweet cherry tomatoes
- Sliced yellow squash
- Thinly sliced cucumber
- Quartered or sliced mushrooms
- Sliced or diced avocado
- Diced bell pepper
- Finely diced red onion
- Black olives or green olives
- Kernels of corn
- Broccoli florets
- Cauliflower florets
- Leafy greens (baby arugula, red romaine, massaged kale, bibb lettuce, spring mix)
How to cook pearl couscous for this salad?
Couscous is so easy to prepare and ready to eat in less than 15 minutes! If you can boil water, then you can cook couscous!
- To prepare Israeli couscous, you will need approximately 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of water or broth for every 1 cup of dry couscous. Note: The proportion of liquid to couscous will vary depending on the brand you buy! Always read the package instructions!
- Bring the liquid to a boil in a heavy pot on the stovetop. Season water with salt.
- Add the couscous and return the liquid to a simmer.
- Simmer, covered, for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the couscous is tender.
- Once cooked, drain the couscous in a colander.
Pro-tip: For a more flavorful dish, toast the dry couscous in oil or butter prior to cooking it in water or broth!
How to make couscous with veggies?
Not only is this vibrant veggie couscous salad straight up delicious in the taste department and packed with all the healthy noms, it’s also an absolute cinch to throw together. Here’s how:
- Prepare water: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a medium bowl with water and ice. Set aside.
- Cook asparagus: Drop the asparagus stalks into boiling water and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the asparagus tips to the water. Continue to cook until the asparagus is tender-crisp. Use a large slotted spoon and transfer the asparagus to the ice water bath.
- Cook couscous: Add the couscous to the boiling water, cover, reduce the heat to simmer, and cook until al-dente. Transfer cooked couscous to a colander and rinse it with cold water. Add the asparagus to the colander so both can drain.
- Make the pesto: Add all the pesto ingredients, except for the oil, to a food processor. Pulse to finely chop. With the processor running, stream in the oil. Process until smooth.
- Finish the dish: Transfer the drained couscous and asparagus to a large bowl and add the pesto. Toss well to combine. Add in the remaining vegetables, almonds, and mozzarella. Toss everything again.
- Serve vegetable couscous salad and chow it down!
FAQs: couscous pesto
Is this couscous recipe healthy?
Couscous is made from semolina which means it contains mostly carbohydrates. However, it is also a good source of fiber and protein with very little fat. Couscous also contains selenium which is a powerful antioxidant that plays a role in thyroid health and helps fight inflammation.
Since couscous is a starchy food, anyone with diabetes or a risk of heart disease should be mindful of portion size. Also, couscous contains gluten, therefore, it is not suitable for anyone with a gluten intolerance or Celiac disease.
You can read more about the health benefits of couscous here.
What is vegetable couscous salad made of?
That all depends on the recipe, of course! My vegetable couscous recipe features pearl couscous tossed with asparagus, snap peas, spinach leaves, radishes, and scallions — plus almonds for crunch and mozzarella balls for some creamy protein. Then, everything is coated in a delicious homemade lemon basil pesto.
Not a fan of asparagus? Find more veggie ideas below, and feel free to swap it (or any other ingredient) out for your favorite!
Serving veggie couscous salad
This simple veggie couscous is perfect as a side dish, or you can serve it as a lighter vegetarian main!
- Meats: grilled steak or roasted pork
- Chicken: baked chicken thighs or easy beer chicken
- Fish and Seafood: cedar plank salmon, grilled shrimp, or simple baked fish in foil
- Burgers and Hotdogs: black bean burgers, cheeseburgers, or chicken burgers
- Serve it as a main: top the couscous with a dollop of hummus and serve plenty of pita bread on the side!
Storing couscous veggie salad
Store leftover couscous in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Unfortunately, I do not recommend freezing, as the texture of the dish will be unpleasant upon thawing.
Can you eat couscous salad with vegetables cold?
You can serve pesto veggie couscous at room temperature or cold, straight from the refrigerator. Please note, vegetable couscous should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours.
This easy Vegetable Couscous with pesto recipe needs to be in your life! As a side at your next BBQ, for your lunch tomorrow, as your dinner all week on repeat. Whatever! Just get this in vegetable couscous salad in your belly, because I know you want to glow!
Until next week friends, cheers – to healthy-ish pasta!
Cheyanne
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More recipes using couscous!
More recipes with pesto!
- Pesto Tortellini Recipe
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Recipe
- Pesto Chicken Pasta Recipe
- Sausage and Veggies with Pesto
- Pesto Spaghetti Squash Casserole
The best Pesto Couscous with Veggies recipe👇
Easy Pesto Couscous with Veggies
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot (to cook couscous)
- 1 Food Processor (to make the pesto sauce)
- 1 Medium Bowl (to toss the salad)
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Pearl Couscous (SEE NOTES)
- 1 Bunch Asparagus - trimmed and cut into 1’’ pieces
- 8 ounces Snap Peas
- 3 ounces Spinach Leaves - stemmed and chopped (about 2 cups)
- 2-3 Scallions - thinly sliced
- 2-3 Radishes - thinly sliced
- ½ Cup Almonds
- 4 ounces Perline Mozzarella Balls (can substitute Bocconcini or shredded mozzarella)
Lemon Basil Pesto:
- 1 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves - packed (SEE NOTES)
- 1 clove of Garlic
- 3 TBS Pine Nuts - toasted (SEE NOTES)
- ¼ Cup Parmesan - grated
- 1 small Lemon - zest and juice
- ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper - to taste
- Optional Garnishes Fresh Basil, Fresh Chives, Microgreens, Lemon Wedges
Instructions
- Blanch the Asparagus: Fill a medium bowl with water and ice. Set aside. Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil in a medium-sized heavy pot (SEE NOTES). Add the stalks of asparagus to the pot and boil for 2 ½ minutes. Add in the asparagus tips and continue to boil for an additional minute, or until the asparagus is tender-crisp (SEE NOTES). Use a large slotted spoon to transfer the asparagus to the ice water bath to stop the asparagus from cooking further. Let sit 2, or more minutes, and then drain.
- Cook the couscous: Add the couscous to the boiling water. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and rinse the couscous under cold water.
- Meanwhile, Make the Lemon-Basil Pesto: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan, lemon juice, zest, ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Pulse until everything is finely chopped. With machine running, slowly drizzle in olive oil and process until smooth (SEE NOTES). Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Toss Salad: In a large bowl toss the drained couscous and asparagus with the pesto sauce. Then, add the snap peas, spinach, and scallions to the bowl and toss again.
- Garnish and Serve: Top the pesto couscous salad with radishes, mozzarella, almonds, and optional garnishes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Couscous: For the most flavorful couscous, toast the dry couscous in oil or butter prior to cooking it in water or broth! To toast couscous: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil or butter in heavy pot. Add the couscous and saute, stirring frequently, until couscous is golden brown. Remove couscous from pot. Add water to pot and continue with recipe as directed.
- Asparagus: When cutting your asparagus into bite sized pieces, make sure you keep the stalks and tips separate. The stalks will take longer to cook and become tender-crisp than the tips, so make sure you add them to the pot first.
- Cooking water: To save time and energy, you are going to use the same pot of water to cook both the asparagus and the couscous. So make sure you use a slotted spoon, or skimmer, to transfer the asparagus to an ice water bath. DO NOT just dump the asparagus and cooking water into a colander! Or, you will have to boil another pot of water, which isn’t a big deal, but it is a waste of time. And no one likes that. 😉
- Vegetable measurements: All the measurements for the vegetables in the recipe are merely a suggestion. Feel free to add more of what you love, and less of what you don’t! I encourage you to customize this to your liking.
- Pine nuts: Toasting the pine nuts for the pesto is optional, but highly recommended if you want pesto with ALL the flavor! It’s really easy to toast them. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Place the pine nuts on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely before using.
- Pesto color: If you want VIBRANT green pesto, blanch your basil leaves. Simply add them to boiling water and cook for 10 seconds. Use a slotted spoon, or skimmer, to immediately remove them and transfer them to an ice water bath. Drain the leaves and squeeze out the excess water before using. *I blanched my basil leaves for this recipe.
- Pesto consistency: If you want a thinner pesto, slowly stream in more olive oil, one tablespoon at a time, until your desired consistency is achieved. The pesto can be made 2 days in advance, and stored, covered in the refrigerator. If you are going to make it in advance, I highly suggest blanching the basil (see note 5) for the pesto, or your pesto will be a dingy green.
- Serving: If you like a lot of sauce with your pasta salad, or just really love pesto, I suggest you double the ingredients for pesto to make a bigger batch!
Nutrition
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Love that there’s no mayo in this one Chey, so it’s perfect for summer BBQ’s. The combination of veggies here is perfect too. And I’m all about the added mozzarella balls. Pinned and excited to give this recipe a whirl for our next summer get together!
I love this kind of spring celebration salad, Chey! So many wonderful flavors and textures. And how gorgeous are these photos!? This beauty is definitely happening soon in our house!
I love couscous, I love veggies, I love everything about this recipe and I wish I had a big bowl of it in front of my as I type. This recipe is AMAZING, Chey! (And you’re so right, life needs cheese. . .) Have a great week, my friend!
Glow Baby Glow is right! This is EXACTLY the kind of food I’m craving right now. An absolute MUST
OK, so I am in love with how you make pearl couscous turn into gold! This recipe is amazingly beautiful. I love how the greens look so enticing with pine nuts, radishes and basil and so many more to list. I love how you are making summer happen NOW. XO
This sounds like the perfect combination of flavors, love the couscous salad.
Oh My! Cheyanne, that pasta dish would make my daughter wanna move in with y’all, but this couscous salad with all the greens and all the textures has me wanting to move in with y’all at meal times – at least! I love a texture packed salad and this has it – not to mention that lemon basil pesto has me saying “no spoon necessary” as long as I have my fingers! 🙂
You are not kidding – time is flying by – and there never seems to be enough time in the day…GAHHHHH!!!!
You were right Cheyanne; I love love love this recipe. Perfect for this weeks nutrition challenge and my everyday life!!! LOL, all this green food is making me giddy. I defiantly don’t eat enough couscous, and the addition of these salty almonds brings me pure joy. This week did fly and the weekend went even faster.
This recipe si so healthy, Cheyanne! Thanks a bunch for providing amazing recipes!
Oh wow Chey. . .this salad looks so refreshing and springy and if it is going to make me glow. . .well. . .count me in. And from the pesto to the scallions to the asparagus. . .I just love all the ingredients (even if my pee will stink. Ooops!). As for the cheese, definitely count me in especially if said cheese is fresh mozzarella.
I love salads like this, Cheyanne! There’s so much good produce at the market right now – love how you’ve got some many delicious flavors in here. Love the pesto, asparagus, crunchy almonds and creamy mozzarella – I’d eat the whole thing! Hope you’re having a good weekend!
This whole year is zipping by for me! WOW! This salad is the most gorgeous salad I’ve ever seen! Beautiful photos Chey, and I’ll be making this with fresh New England peas when they arrive. Mine won’t be as pretty as yours though 🙂
My husband asked for a giant salad for dinner tonight (crazy, right?) and this was just the ticket!! Such fresh, springy, delicious flavors!! Thank you! Have a great weekend!
Glowing green? Wow! So much in love with the name of this lush green said, it’s delish flavors and colors, and texture. Pesto and mozzarella sound like a great addition to this salad. And that dressing is too scrumptious. Loving it, Chey. Cheers. Have a nice weekend my friend.
Yay for scrumptious salads! You know I am loving all the green, all the veggies and all the ingredients here! (And yup, I’m probably gonna double that pesto!) I could eat this on repeat!! Pinned and can’t wait to try! Hope you have a fabulous weekend my friend! XO
I’m just blown away by how fast time is flying — it’s crazy! I want spring to slow down because I can’t get enough spring veggies. This couscous is packed with everything I love right now and the pesto and mozzarella balls are such a great touch! This looks amazing and I need a big ole bowl!
Gorgeous photos!! Glowing is right, this salad is spring in bowl. Peas in the pod are always so sweet in a salad and more importantly delicious! I’m loving the crunchy almonds and I could drink the dressing though I’d rather have it on the salad 🙂 . Take care.
So many great ideas for this gorgeous salad Chey. Like blanching the asparagus and basil. YUM!!! We love cous cous around here and haven’t had it in forever. I think these are my favorite pictures of yours EVER — the greens are so vibrant and I love your beautiful garnishes. Nice. It’s been a crappy week around here and your salad and writing have improved it greatly already. So thank you. Tomorrow is Friday – so let’s hope the weekend will be better. Hope you and Boy have a great weekend my friend. XO
Girl, you had me at pesto. I love love love how green this salad is! And couscous up in here is a game changer! This week has completely dragged on and on for me and it feels like Friday will never get here. Good thing I have this salad to look forward to for lunch tomorrow because I’m totally doing it! Cheers!
This is insanely beautiful! I can’t get over all that color – gorgeous! Definitely glowing. I want to eat this for lunch all the time.
Yes girl about this week….fast yet SLOW!!! This salad sounds so springy and delish! LOVING the lemon basil pesto. I’m drooling!
Beautiful salad! I love couscous I see we are on the same couscous train! hehehe loving your pics!
I just love the sound of this salad! Something about the words “glowing green” make me feel all chipper. 🙂 That, and ya know… just being at my bestie’s most spectacularly awesome blog. Meanwhile, super fast/super slow: YES!! I kind of feel that way all the time! Haha. Like, how is it still Thursday… oh wait, is it Thursday already??? Whaaaaa? Mind bottling, indeed! Loving the combo of crunchy, salty almonds and those sugar snap peas… only you know how to make me truly drool over a salad! Btw, “salty as the ocean” <— LOLOL. That could not be clearer! 😉 Hope we can chat soon! xoxo
This Spring Salad looks and sounds amazing Cheyanne! And yes we all need cheese in our life..haha..Love all the beautiful vibrant colors going on here and I’ve also been getting into salads and asparagus just happens to be a favorite of mine. So if this salad seriously makes you glow…I’m in…Happy Weekend 🙂 🙂
This is Spring in a bowl! Absolutely loving this and just the thing I’m craving right now. Perfect 🙂
Whoa, Cheyanne! Just whoa. Salad is seriously one of my favorite things EVER (yep, I’m a really exciting person) and this gorgeous bowl has me tearing up a little bit–in a good way, don’t worry. And I’m fine with just the veggies, but then you add lemon-basil pesto and mozzarella and couscous? Just yes to alllll of it! And I totally agree; life always needs some cheese :). Have a great weekend girl!
SO much green goodness in this gorgeous bowl of spring greens! I love the depth of flavor, textures and pops of color… it begs to be eaten! I can’t wait for fresh local peas… and strawberries.. and, and… and! Have a lovely weekend Chey!
I love couscous Chey. I feel better about eating pasta when it’s nice and small like couscous because then I don’t feel like i cheated as much. Mind bottling (ha! I love that!) , I know, but it works for me. And with all the other healthy ingredients in this salad, I wouldn’t feel guilty at all. I love all the greens and that lemon-basil pesto!
Pretty as a picture, Chey! I need everything you’re offering in this salad! I can’t recall the last time I had a pretty little radish…that needs to end now! And I don’t have to tell you how I feel about that pesto! Owns my heart! Have a great weekend, my friend! Hope it’s a happy one! xoxo
Are you telling me that this salad is going to give my skin a beautiful glow and I don’t even have to use a highlighter anymore? Cause, if so, sign me up! Hehehe. Yes, life needs cheese. Some people’s lives need a little more cheese than others or, shall I rephrase that – some people eat more cheese in their life than other people. Not pointing any fingers or anything (me). And it’s not like I have 10 varieties of cheese in my fridge or the equivalent to 20 lbs or anything. Ok, that may be a bit much, but you get the point. Anywho, after all that cheese talk, let’s talk salad. Love the green of this one and it definitely is packed with goodness! And, lucky me, we actually have a basil plant in our window that seems to be growing rather well – woo hoo! Perfect for pesto if you ask me! Pinning! Have a great weekend! XO
Mind bottling – lol. I’m gonna use that now! This salad is making my eyes bug out of my head. I love ALL the greens – especially those pretty pea pods. How could you not feel amazing eating this salad?
YES! Why does time move fast and slow all at the same time?! For the past few weeks, on Wednesdays, I’ve been thinking it was Thursday, when it clearly wasn’t. And now that it’s Thursday, it’s great and all, but it needs to be Friday! Clearly I’m all messed up on time haha. Now onto this GORGEOUS salad! I’m serious when I say this is the prettiest, most delicious couscous version I’ve seen. Just that description blew me away! I always forget to cook with couscous, but I really love it, so it needs to make a comeback in my kitchen. And that lemon basil pesto, with peas, asparagus AND mozzarella? Sign me up! So pretty and my version of a perfect salad. I need to try this ASAP! Pinning this beauty! Happy almost Friday, friend!
What a gorgeous looking salad, perfect for spring!
Ain’t green sexy?! Such a glorious spring salad, Chey.