Mean Green Vegan Couscous Salad

Easy vegan couscous salad you can make in under 30 minutes! Healthy, fresh & versatile.

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine Vegan

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Roasting time 15

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 292kcal

Author Robin Walrecht

Equipment

Blender or food processor

Ingredients

FOR THE SALAD

1 red bell pepper
140 g couscous
120 g peas preferably frozen
30 g almonds
60 g fresh spinach I used baby leaf spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
A drizzle of olive oil

FOR THE HERB PASTE

30 g mint leaves only
40 g parsley leaves only
1 small lemon or ½ large lemon, juice only
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 tablespoon water
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
black pepper to taste

US Cups - Metric

Instructions

Start by heating the oven to 200°C/392°F.
First, remove the core and seeds from your red pepper. Slice lengthwise into thin slices.
Transfer your pepper slices to a lined baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside as you wait for the oven to heat up.
Prepare the couscous according to the package directions* and season with salt. Set aside to let cool. Tip: prepare your couscous in a large bowl which you can use later on to mix in all the other ingredients.
Whilst your couscous cools down, start preparing your herb paste. Add all the herb paste ingredients (except water) to a food processor or blender.
Blend until smooth, then add water until your reach the desired consistency (you will need to add approx. 2-3 tablespoons).
When the oven is ready, roast your bell peppers for 15 minutes. Important: After 7 minutes, add almonds and roast for the remaining 8 minutes (skip this step if you are using pre-roasted almonds). When ready, remove from the oven and leave to cool.
If you're using canned peas, skip this step. If you're using frozen peas, prepare them according to package directions until they're ready. Set aside to let cool.
Chop up your spinach and almonds.
Assemble your salad. Start by adding your herb paste to the couscous and give it a good stir. Add in the peas and spinach. Lastly, add your roasted bell peppers. If desired, reserve some pepper slices for garnish.
Add a generous portion to your plate and sprinkle with almonds. If desired, add an extra drizzle of oil or lemon juice, or sprinkle with salt or chilli flakes.

Notes

Use the step-by-step photos in the blog post above as your visual guide.

* Most couscous packaging will include simple instructions on the back.
In case your couscous does not include instructions, follow this couscous preparation recipe - place couscous in a heat proof bowl, add boiling hot water, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. For best results, I recommend using the following ratio: 1 part couscous and 1 ½ parts of boiling water. Add salt and stir before serving.
Want to add some extra flavour to your couscous? Prepare it by using vegetable stock instead of boiling water.
If your herb paste feels dry, add a drizzle of oil or water until you reach the desired consistency.
To make the garlic flavour milder, blend the garlic and lemon juice first before adding other ingredients. This will ensure a lovely garlic flavour throughout without being too overpowering.

Nutrition