This refreshing kale couscous salad is chock full of roasted veggies, chickpeas and Middle Eastern Flavors. The creamy tahini and bell pepper dressing really makes the flavors pop! This one is filling, super balanced, and great for meal prep. This one is equally delicious warm or cold. Plus, it's oil free, too!
Note: This recipe is not a traditional Middle Eastern recipe. Instead, it is inspired by the delicious fresh, herbaceous flavors from the Middle East. I hope you love it!
Why you’ll love this Israeli Couscous Kale Salad
- Beautiful salad with lots of vibrant flavors and color
- Veggie-packed salad ideal for meal prepping or making a quick side dish
- Filling and hearty, thanks to copious amounts of veggies and greens
- The tender little couscous orbs are always a huge hit with kids and adults alike
- The flavors come out even more as the dressing gets a chance to rest
- Can hang out in the fridge for days at a time
Ingredients for Pearl Couscous Salad
- Roasted veggies - Roast fresh cauliflower, eggplant, and chickpeas with a savory mixture of dark miso, smoked paprika, cumin, and garlic powder.
- Israeli couscous - This is also called pearl couscous due to its larger shape compared to traditional couscous. It's essentially a little ball of pasta and has a lovely texture and bite in salads.
- Raw veggies - For extra freshness, add fresh kale, cherry tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, and green onions.
- Roasted bell peppers - In a medley of different colors, like red, orange, and yellow.
- Fresh lemon - To massage the kale leaves to help them become soft and tender.
- Tahini Lemon Dressing - We'll blend together a simple dressing made with tahini, maple syrup, fresh lemon juice, parsley, fresh garlic, and roasted peppers.
Bonus tip: Couscous is a type of pasta, which means it contains wheat flour. If you are gluten-free, choose a GF option. You will also need to sub out the miso for coconut aminos!
How to Make Pearl Couscous Kale Salad
I know the steps below may seem a little involved, but give the recipe a read before getting started and have all of your ingredients ready. Basically, you marinade the veggies, then roast them. While that's happening, you can blend the dressing ingredients together and prep the raw veggies. Add everything together, toss, and serve.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix marinade for veggies by combining miso, smoked paprika, cumin, water and garlic powder until it becomes a thin paste.
- Place cauliflower, eggplant and chickpeas on a sheet pan. Pour marinade over them and toss well with your hands until well coated then spread out in a single layer. Bake for 40 minutes.
- On another sheet pan place 4 bell peppers. Bake for 40 minutes.
- Make dressing in a high speed blender by combining tahini, water, maple syrup, lemon, parsley, garlic and 2 roasted peppers. Blend until smooth.
- Make salad by adding kale to a large bowl and massaging with the juice from half a lemon to soften the leaves. Add roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, eggplant, cous cous, the other two roasted peppers chopped, cucumber, tomato and green onion.
- Pour dressing over the salad and toss well.
- Serve and enjoy!
Storing Suggestions
Place any leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Serve cold.
Tips for Making the Best Kale Couscous Salad
- Add extra protein. To make this into a main dish, add your favorite protein, like garbanzo beans, white beans, or crispy tofu.
- Customize the veggies. You can always adjust to the seasonal produce available to you. For a little extra sharpness, add sliced red onion. For a little sweetness, sprinkle some pomegranate seeds.
- Add nuts. For extra crunch, feel free to add sunflower seeds, Marcona almonds, or a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.
- Use any type of kale you prefer. I often use dinosaur kale, but they all work really nicely. Just be sure to remove the tough stem first and give the leaves a good massage.
- Add cheese. Feel free to add a little bit of vegan feta cheese for a creamy, salty note.
FAQs
The best and easiest swap is definitely orzo, which is a small, rice-shaped pasta. Traditional couscous can work but is so fine that it might because a little overly wet with the dressing. You can also use whole grains, like farro, bulgur wheat, or pearled barley, although those typically take much longer to cook. Or, try using quinoa or cooked brown rice.
Each recipe is a little different. This recipe is intended to be served cool or at room temperature, although it will definitely be a warm salad at first with the freshly roasted veggies and cooked couscous. It's delicious either way, but serving it cold makes it ideal for prepping the day before a party or for meal planning.
This delicious salad is really more of a side dish, intended for serving alongside summery kebabs, veggie burgers, and more. Make it into a feast with Creamy Roasted Garlic Hummus, homemade pita bread, and this vegan Mezze Platter.
More Vegan Salad Recipes
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Middle Eastern Kale Couscous Salad
Ingredients
For Roasted Veggies:
- 1 head cauliflower in florets
- 1 eggplant cut in cubes
- 15 oz can of chickpeas
- 1 tbsp dark miso
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
For Salad:
- 2 cups kale stems removed, then chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 Persian cucumbers sliced
- 2 green onions chopped, green and white parts
- 2 cups Israeli couscous cooked
- 2 roasted bell peppers red, yellow, or orange, seeded and chopped
- ½ lemon
For Dressing:
- 4 tbsp tahini
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 lemon juiced
- 4 tbsp fresh parsley leaves
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 roasted bell peppers red, yellow, or orange
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix marinade for veggies by combining miso, smoked paprika, cumin, water and garlic powder until it becomes a thin paste.
- Place cauliflower, eggplant and chickpeas on a sheet pan.
- Pour marinade over them and toss well with your hands until well coated then spread out in a single layer.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- On another sheet pan place 4 bell peppers.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- Make dressing in a high speed blender by combining tahini, water, maple syrup, lemon, parsley, garlic and 2 roasted peppers.
- Blend until smooth.
- Make salad by adding kale to a bowl and massaging with half a lemon to soften the leaves.
- Add roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, eggplant, cous cous, the other two roasted peppers chopped, cucumber, tomato and green onion.
- Pour dressing over the salad and toss well.
- Enjoy within 3 days.