Herby Ranch Couscous Salad

A quick meal prep recipe that works as a light dinner, refreshing lunch, or a side dish for a BBQ.

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword bbq, big salad, couscous salad, creamy vegan salad, fresh herbs, pearl couscous, summer salad, summer vegan recipe, vegan barbecue, vegan bbq, vegan couscous salad

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 568

Author carleigh

Equipment

Ingredients

1½ cups pearl couscous or quinoa, dry
15 oz white navy beans one can drained and rinsed, chickpeas would also be great
1 cucumber diced
½ cup pickled red onions chopped, or fresh
4 radishes finely sliced
1 cup radish tops finely chopped
1 handful parsley finely chopped
1 handful fresh dill finely chopped
1 handful fresh chives finely chopped

For the dressing:

¾ cup raw cashews boiled for 10 minutes
1 lemon juiced
½ cup water
1 clove garlic
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Cook the couscous according to package directions. In the meantime, prepare all of the vegetables.
In a high speed blender, combine dressing ingredients until smooth, apart from the parsley and black pepper. Stir that in at the end for a more textural ranch.
Add all of the salad ingredients to a bowl, and drizzle the dressing over top. Enjoy immediately or store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Notes

Swap the navy beans for chickpeas, edamame, butter beans, or even fresh peas. Use whatever you have in your pantry or freezer!

If you want a couscous substitute, use quinoa, farro, or orzo. Quinoa works well if you're looking for a gluten-free option.

Don't toss out the radish tops! They add a peppery flavor similar to arugula.

For a nut-free vegan ranch dressing, use hummus or tofu as the base.

Turn this into a mason jar salad for easy grab-and-go lunches.
This recipe yields 4-6 servings depending whether you serve it as a main or side.

Nutrition