Mediterranean Couscous Salad Hot Honey (Print Version)
Fluffy couscous with Mediterranean vegetables and a sweet-spicy hot honey lemon vinaigrette. Ready in 25 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Couscous & Vegetables
01 - 1 cup uncooked couscous
02 - 1¼ cups boiling water
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - ½ cup cucumber, diced
05 - ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
06 - ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
07 - ⅓ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
08 - ⅓ cup feta cheese, crumbled
09 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped (optional)
→ Hot Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
11 - 3 tbsp olive oil
12 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
13 - 1 tbsp honey
14 - ½ tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
15 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
16 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
17 - ½ tsp sea salt
18 - ¼ tsp black pepper
# How-To:
01 - Place couscous in a large heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over the couscous, cover tightly, and let steep for 5 minutes. Fluff gently with a fork and allow to cool slightly.
02 - In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk together the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, honey, red pepper flakes, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, sea salt, and black pepper until fully emulsified and smooth.
03 - To the bowl of fluffed couscous, add the halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced red bell pepper, finely chopped red onion, sliced Kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese, chopped parsley, and mint if using. Toss gently to combine.
04 - Pour the hot honey lemon vinaigrette over the couscous mixture and toss thoroughly to coat all ingredients evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes as desired.
05 - Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Garnish with additional fresh herbs or extra crumbled feta before serving if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The hot honey lemon vinaigrette hits every note: sweet, tangy, and just enough heat to keep things interesting.
- Couscous cooks in five minutes flat, which means this entire dish comes together faster than delivery.
02 -
- Do not skip the resting time for the couscous, lifting the lid early leaves you with crunchy grains that no amount of dressing can fix.
- The vinaigrette will separate if it sits too long, so give it another quick shake right before pouring.
03 -
- Taste your olives before adding salt to the salad, because some Kalamata olives are saltier than others and you can easily overseason.
- Warm the honey slightly before whisking it into the vinaigrette so it blends smoothly instead of clumping.