I love making salads for my weekly meal prep! Salads don’t have to be boring, just try my Vegan Taco Salad or Vegan Soba Noodle Salad! They’re full of flavor and loaded with protein to keep me going for a whole day. I wanted something different for this week, something with Mediterranean flavors but still with as much natural protein as possible. For protein, nothing beats chickpeas, but couscous is surprisingly rich as well. So I combined both in a simple and delicious recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Pearl Couscous – Also called Israeli Couscous. It comes in large pearls, almost as big as green beans but you can also use regular small couscous. For a high-protein gluten-free alternative, you can use quinoa instead. Chickpeas – I use canned chickpeas for this recipe. Carrots – Sliced in small sticks. You can swap for other crunchy vegetables. Olive Oil – Any oil works, but olive oil strikes a good balance of flavor and heat resistance when cooking the veggie. Spices – I used a combination of Paprika, Garlic Powder, and Cumin. Cucumber – I use English cucumber, but you can also use Lebanese cucumber. Green Bell Pepper – Or any bell pepper you have. Cherry Tomatoes – I used cherry tomatoes from my garden. You can also use regular tomatoes, but since they’d need to be sliced, it might make the salad last less. Baby Spinach – I love the taste and crunchiness of baby spinach, but you can also use arugula (called Rocket in other parts of the world). Plain Yogurt – I used coconut yogurt, but any plant-based yogurt works. Herbs – I used mint, basil and cilantro, or parsley. Lemon Juice – Fresh or bottled. Harissa Paste – Harissa is a chili paste from the North-African countries made with peppers and many spices. It’s super tasty and brings some zing to the dressing. If you can’t find any, you can either make your own with a harissa recipe or replace it with Sriracha or Sambal Oelek, they are both chili pastes but with different spices. Maple Syrup – For a touch of sweetness. You can alternatively use agave syrup or coconut nectar.
How to Make Vegan Couscous Salad
Making this salad is super easy, there are 3 main steps: the dressing, cooking carrots and chickpeas, and assembling.
Meal Prep Tips
This salad is a perfect meal-prep lunch because you can make a large batch and divide it into as many servings as you want. Here are my tips to make meal-prepping easy:
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