Guys. THIS SALAD. I know I say a lot of my recipes are a “must make” (because truly, they are) but this salad is one I guarantee you’ll make again and again. Don’t believe me? I shared it with my marketing manager, Abra, just a couple of weeks ago and she’s already made it 3-4 times.
Let me introduce my scoop it up kale couscous salad bursting with freshness, texture, and zippy, savory flavors. We’re loading this bowl up with salty feta cheese, protein from chickpeas, the best-ever Castelvetrano olives, OH, and pickled red onion for good measure. I call it “scoop it up” because whenever I make it I end up scooping it straight from the salad bowl with pita chips because mama loves that crunch factor.
Take 30 minutes and make it for lunch or as a yummy side dish this week with your favorite proteins, or bring it to your next BBQ as a crowd-pleasing dish. You’re going to love this one.
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Everything you’ll need to make this kale couscous salad
Crunchy veggies! Couscous and chickpeas! Olives and feta! Oh, and the best lemon vinaigrette you’ll want to put on every salad forever. Here’s everything you’ll need to make this beautiful salad:
- Couscous: you may know by now that I’m obsessed with pearl couscous. It’s like little tiny pasta that creates the perfect base for soups, one pot meals, and salads.
- Kale: the other base of this salad is, of course, kale! I have a few tips for making kale salads below that make them extra delicious.
- Chickpeas: we’re adding plant-based protein from a can of chickpeas.
- Mix-ins: you’ll get savory flavor from feta cheese and my fav Castelvetrano olives, freshness from parsley, and a sweet-and-zesty flavor from pickled red onion. YUM.
- For the dressing: this incredible lemon vinaigrette is made with fresh lemon juice, a little olive oil, dijon mustard, garlic, red pepper flakes, sugar (or honey), salt and pepper.
Make this salad gluten-free or vegan
- To make gluten-free: feel free to swap the couscous for gluten-free orzo or even quinoa! You can also omit the orzo to keep the salad grain-free, but I love the little bites of grains.
- To make vegan: simply omit the feta cheese.
Looking to add a little crunch?
Throw in ½ cup salted roasted pistachios, sunflower seeds, or toasted sliced almonds. As the title suggests, I also like scooping this salad up with tortilla chips, pita chips, or pita crackers for an even bigger crunch. SO GOOD.
More ways to boost the protein
This kale couscous salad packs 18g of protein as is, but feel free to serve it with:
- Grilled steak or shrimp
- My Baked or Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken
- Or my Honey Lemon Garlic Salmon
The key to making kale salads
Raw kale is actually pretty tough, but there are a couple of ways to prep it in a salad to make it perfectly crunchy and nicely marinated with the dressing:
- Finely chop it. Be sure to chop it very finely so that the bites aren’t too large. Use a sharp knife or salad chopper, or pulse the kale a few times in a food processor.
- Dress it first. You’ll want to add your chopped kale in a bowl with the chickpeas and couscous and mix the dressing in for at least 1 minute until everything is well coated before adding the mix-ins. This will ensure that the kale marinates well with the dressing and isn’t as tough in texture.
- Meal prep it. This kale couscous salad is amazing when prepped ahead of time because the kale doesn’t break down like other greens do.
How to store this kale couscous salad
This salad will stay good in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Our fav salad tools
Check out more of our go-to kitchen essentials here!
More salad recipes you’ll love
- Summer Glow Strawberry Kale Salad
- Curried Chickpea Couscous Salad
- Grilled Corn Salad with Avocado, Goat Cheese & Hot Honey Vinaigrette
- Italian Chopped Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Spicy Ranch Chopped Chicken Cabbage Salad
Get all of my salad recipes here!
I hope you love this kale couscous salad! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
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125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Spoon It Up Kale Couscous Salad
Ingredients
- For the couscous:
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- For the lemon vinaigrette:
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the salad:
- 1 bunch of Tuscan kale, finely chopped
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ⅔ cup Castelvetrano olives, coarsely chopped
- 4 ounces feta, crumbled
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- ½ heaping cup pickled red onion, plus more if you love them!!
- Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the couscous: In a medium pot, add the water, couscous and salt and bring to a boil. Stir couscous, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed. Transfer to a large sieve and rinse the couscous with cold water for about 1 minute, until the couscous has cooled. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl or mason jar: add the lemon juice, olive oil, dijon, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, sugar (or honey) and a few grinds of pepper. Whisk until well combined and emulsified, or alternatively, place a lid on the jar and shake until well combined.
- Prepare the salad: In the large bowl with the couscous, add the kale and chickpeas. Pour the lemon vinaigrette over and use tongs to toss until dressing coats everything well, about 1 minute.
- Next, add in the olives, feta, parsley and red onion. Toss again with tongs until well-combined. Add salt and pepper to taste, as needed. Serve immediately or keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Salad is excellent prepped ahead of time. Try serving with tortilla chips, pita chips or pita crackers for scooping up. This salad is also fantastic served on the side with your favorite protein such as grilled steak, chicken, shrimp or salmon. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
3 comments
This sounds delish! What should I substitute for couscous if I’m gluten free? Thanks!
Hi! Check out the full post for all of my substitution suggestions 🙂 gluten-free orzo or quinoa would be great in here.
Yummy salad. Would never think to put pickled onions on salad but was my fav part. The olives and feta made it. I needed more dressing but I might have had too much kale. Def make again and again