Mediterranean Chickpea Couscous Salad

Add some sun to your plate with this easy Mediterranean couscous salad with chickpeas, olives and artichoke hearts. Vegan, healthy and wholesome, this couscous salad is easy to customize and perfect for summer picnics!

Summer is here and the picnic season officially open! We actually have a few holidays coming our ways, with Canada Day on July 1st, Independence Day on July 4th in the US, and Bastille Day on July 14th in France. So many occasions excuses for a picnic! Along with other picnic foods, a delicious couscous salad packed with fresh veggies is always so convenient for a potluck, perfect to feed a crowd and easy to adapt.

Today I’m sharing my favorite Mediterranean couscous salad, that I have been making a lot lately. It’s a simple vegan salad, packed with sun-drenched ingredients, and just perfect too beat the heat.

A vegan Mediterranean salad

Unlike the classic Mediterranean couscous salad prepared with feta cheese, this vegan version is made without cheese. Let’s break down the salad by ingredient:

• Couscous. This is of course the core ingredient of the salad and is a great source of protein.
• Chickpeas. I used them here instead of feta cheese (which is not vegan). Chickpeas add some extra protein to the salad and make it wholesome and fulfilling. Note that if you are not vegan or strictly vegan, there is no harm in adding feta cheese to the recipe.
• Olives. I used both green olives and kalamata (the black ones). Usually, I recommend olives of the highest quality rather than the canned ones that are usually tasteless and loaded with additives.

• Grape tomatoes. Of course, you can go for any kind of tomatoes, just make the best of them while in season.
• Artichoke hearts. My little twist to the recipe, and an ingredient I’m using a lot lately. In case you do not like it, just skip it!
• Sun-dried tomatoes. They add in taste to the recipe, I love them!
• Capers, mint leaves. A few adds-on that make the whole difference, bring some freshness and personality to the salad!

The dressing is a very basic vinaigrette, that I like to keep simple and healthy. Extra virgin olive oil and apple cider is all you need. I also added some freshly squeezed lemon juice for an extra boost in vitamin C.

Variations and substitute ingredients

Now that you’ve got the basic principles about this Mediterranean couscous salad, you can make it your own version! The reason why I’m suggesting it is because we often don’t have all the ingredients on hand and need to find some variations to the recipe.

Because a salad is always a very forgiving recipe, you can play around and use/add any of the following ingredients, by category:

• Vegetables. consider adding to the existing vegetables some cucumber, red onions, grilled veggies of your choice, such as zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, etc.
• Protein. chickpeas can easily be replaced with white beans. And if you are not strictly vegan, you can use feta cheese instead of (or in addition to) chickpeas.
• Grain. a great variation to the recipe consists in replacing couscous (semolina) with quinoa, barley, bulgur, orzo… You could even replace with some pasta or rice. As you can see, possibilities are endless!
• Other adds-on. consider adding herbs to the recipe, such as fresh mint, parsley or basil. You can also add a few toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds for a crunchy bite.

A healthy couscous salad recipe

This Mediterranean chickpea salad is quick, easy to make, and perfectly healthy. Because it is loaded with vegetables, it’s a fiber-rich recipe and low in calories. Couscous adds some carbs, which makes the salad very satisfying, as well as the chickpeas, great source of plant-based protein. So don’t wait, and go make this healthy salad for your next potluck!

More salad recipes you’ll love:

• Cumin-Roasted Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad
• Apricot Feta Quinoa Salad
• Avocado Raspberry Quinoa Salad
• Strawberry Burrata Salad with Mint Pesto
• Spiced Chickpea Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl
• French Lentil Salad with Beets, Baby Spinach & Feta
• Healthy Protein-Packed Greek Salad
• Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

What to serve as a side?

Whether you prepare this salad for a quick lunch or plan to bring it for a picnic, make sure you serve it along with a few sides. Here are some of my favorite ones, but you can also complete with one or several appetizer recipe ideas.

• Savory Zucchini Bread with Goat Cheese
• Baba Ganoush
• Balsamic Tomato Tart with Goat Cheese
• Harissa Cauliflower Walnut Dip
• Whole Wheat Mediterranean Pizza Star Ring

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