theveganbeauty

This Summer Couscous Salad will be your new favorite! Roasted crisp corn, creamy avocado, sweet cherry tomatoes, tender couscous, and smooth mozzarella with an irresistible white balsamic vinaigrette!

Summer Couscous Salad

Couscous salads have always been wildly popular on this site — for instance, Greek Couscous Salad, Italian Couscous Salad, and Chickpea Salad are all mega popular. So, today we’re adding to the collection with a personal favorite — this fresh and lively Summer Couscous Salad!

Summer Couscous Salad Ingredients

• Pearl couscous. Israeli couscous is also called pearled couscous; here’s what I use. It’s important to get the large balls of couscous for the right texture of this salad. Israeli couscous and regular (Moroccan) couscous are made with similar ingredients, but regular couscous is much smaller.
• Cherry tomatoes. While any tomatoes will work, we love the sweetness and juiciness of cherry tomatoes — especially garden-fresh cherry tomatoes! Quarter large cherry tomatoes or halve smaller ones.
• Fresh avocado. The avocado lends an amazing creamy texture to this salad. Wait for perfectly ripe avocados, as they make a huge difference in this salad. An avocado is ripe when it yields to gentle pressure (think: touching the tip of your nose). The avocado should not be at all squishy.
• Mini mozzarella pearls. The mozzarella pearls are fun, but not entirely necessary. Larger mozzarella balls can be used instead– just cut them into quarters first. Alternatively, block mozzarella will work too. I recommend cutting block mozzarella into small 1/2-inch cubes.
• Corn. More on this ingredient below!

Let’s talk corn

There are a few different ways to prepare the corn for Summer Couscous Salad. While there is nothing like fresh sweet summer corn, frozen corn also works exceptionally well –especially for when you’re craving this salad in the dead of winter! 

And here are the options for roasting fresh summer corn:

• Grill the corn on an outdoor grill until lightly charred all over. See the “quick tip” box below.
• Grill the corn on an indoor grill pan until lightly charred all over.

If you don’t have fresh corn, I’d recommend one of the following preparation methods:

• Buy pre-roasted canned corn (near regular canned corn in the grocery store) and use one can, drained.
• Buy regular canned corn and roast it for a few minutes on the stovetop. More details on how to do that here.
• Or, use frozen corn. Char it in a skillet until thawed and lightly roasted.

Let the corn fully cool before adding to this amazing salad.

The white balsamic vinaigrette is simple, mild, and adds the perfect finishing touch to this salad. Just combine all the ingredients into a jar and shake to combine. The dressing can be made in advance, but be sure to shake it up again before drizzling over this Summer Couscous Salad.

Summer Couscous Salad Dressing Ingredients

• White balsamic vinegar. Don’t confuse it with white vinegar or balsamic vinegar (they are all different types of vinegar). White balsamic vinegar starts the same way that regular balsamic vinegar does but is pressure-cooked to prevent it from browning and it’s aged for a shorter time. The result is a less intense version of balsamic with a lighter, golden-hue, and milder (slightly sweeter) flavor.
• Olive oil. Use good quality, extra virgin olive oil — the better your olive oil, the better the flavor of the dressing will be. Here are a few tips when trying to find good olive oil!
• Dijon mustard. Make sure to use Dijon, not yellow mustard. There’s a big flavor difference! We love Grey Poupon® Dijon best.
• Dried basil. Just a touch of dried basil adds a nice flavor to the salad. If you prefer, use oregano or Italian seasoning instead.
• Honey. This is an ingredient you can play around with a bit in this dressing — add more for a sweeter salad and less for a tangier more savory flavor.

Adding Protein to This Salad

 Summer Couscous Salad lends well to additional protein; I’d recommend leftover shredded rotisserie chicken — a lemon-herb flavored rotisserie chicken if you can find it! A side of grilled chicken is also a great option.

More salad recipes