Middle Eastern · salad

Couscous Salad

Name: Couscous Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 2/3 c. water; 1 c. couscous; about 3 Tbsp. olive oil; about 3 Tbsp. lemon juice; 3 scallions (including green parts), finely chopped; 1/2 c. tightly packed Italian parsley, finely chopped; 2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped; 3 Tbsp. finely chopped mint; kosher salt; black pepper

Couscous Salad reads citrus 6.2, sourness 5.6 and herbaceous 4.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Middle Eastern salad, about 15 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 3.9 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 3.4 / 10
Sour & Bright — 7.9 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.4 / 10
Rich & Fat — 2.9 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 6.2 · Sourness 5.6 · Herbaceous 4.2 · Salinity 3.7 · Fruity 2.8 · Richness 2.6 · Umami 2.3 · Sweetness 2.2 · Allium 1.8 · Floral 1.4 · Bitterness 1.3 · Warm Spice 1.3 · Nutty 1.0 · Heat 0.8 · Earthy 0.6

What's in it (10)

2/3 c. water
1 c. couscous
about 3 Tbsp. olive oil
about 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 scallions (including green parts), finely chopped
1/2 c. tightly packed Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
3 Tbsp. finely chopped mint
kosher salt
black pepper

Time & effort: about 15 min · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 87.2 kcal, 3.4 g protein, 0.3 g fat, 18 g carbs

Dietary: Vegan — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan.
Pour in the couscous.
Cover the pan and remove from the heat.
Let stand for 5 minutes.
Uncover the pan and stir the couscous right away with a fork.
(If the grains do not separate, fluff them gently with your fingers.)
Transfer the couscous to a bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients.
Season the salad to taste with more lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Tabbouleh — Lebanese
Salata Baladi (Egyptian Country Salad) — Egyptian
Tabooley — Middle Eastern
Fattoush — Lebanese
Encebollado de Albacora — Ecuadorian

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, herbaceous mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →

Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.