This delicious Couscous Arugula Salad is infused with white balsamic-soaked raisins, crisp arugula, and sauteed garlic mushrooms. It’s such a light and healthy salad!
We love to serve this easy salad alongside our breaded chicken skewers or easy beef stew recipe.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
I love this easy to make Couscous Arugula Salad for its delicious flavors. Israeli (pearl) couscous combined with sautéed balsamic mushrooms, golden raisins, and fresh arugula make the perfect spring/summer salad.
- TASTE: This salad is full of earthy mushrooms and sweet raisins. The fresh arugula and white balsamic vinegar give it such a fresh and vibrant flavor.
- TEXTURE: This salad is crisp with tender couscous and mushrooms, and juicy raisins.
- TIME: It takes 30 minutes to make this salad.
- EASE: It’s very easy to prepare this dish. Just make the couscous, saute the mushrooms, and assemble the salad!
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Couscous– I love using pearl couscous because the texture is amazing.
- Mushrooms- You can use baby bella or white mushrooms for this recipe.
- Arugula- This lettuce is peppery, spicy, and a little nutty. It adds great flavor to this salad.
- Green onion– For a mild onion taste.
- Golden raisins– These are sweet and juicy and go great with the other ingredients in this salad.
- White balsamic vinegar– This gives the dressing a sweet and tangy flavor.
- Extra virgin olive oil- Light and flavorful, this is the base for the dressing.
- Salt and Black pepper- To taste.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute other lettuce- You can make this Couscous Arugula Salad with spinach, romaine, spring mix, or other lettuce blends.
- Add different vegetables- Try this salad with some red bell pepper, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, or olives.
- Make it with cheese- Add some goat cheese, feta cheese, or mozzarella cheese to the salad.
- Add protein- Make it more filling with the addition of Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Breast, garbanzo beans, or Air Fryer Shrimp.
How to Make Couscous Arugula Salad
- Soak the raisins. Soak the raisins in boiling water for about half an hour.
- Saute the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms in a skillet with hot oil. Then add in the garlic and white vinegar. Sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Cook the couscous. Cook the couscous according to the package directions and then drain out the water.
Pro Tip: Soaking the raisins will make them juicier, so don’t skip this step.
- Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the couscous, raisins, green onion, sautéed mushrooms, olive oil, and white balsamic vinegar. Now you can toss in the fresh arugula, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Tips
- Soak the raisins- Let the raisins sit in hot water for about 30 minutes so they become plump and absorb more of the salad ingredient flavors.
- Don’t overcook the couscous– Make sure to keep a close eye on it when it’s cooking. overcooked couscous will become mushy.
- Don’t use the red balsamic vinegar– I know that the red type is more commonly used, but it has a very different taste so stick with the white version.
- Serve chilled– Like all salad recipes, this one tastes the best when it’s nice and cold. It makes it refreshing as well.
FAQs
No, you do not need to rinse couscous because it is not a grain, like rice. It is actually made of semolina flour and similar to pasta.
Depending on who you ask, couscous can be healthy (like is a light salad) and not so healthy (in a creamy sauce). It contains gluten so anyone that is following a gluten-free diet, cannot have couscous.
When boiling Israeli or pearl couscous you want to have a couscous water ratio of 1 1/4 cup of water for every 1 cup of couscous. You can even use chicken broth instead of water for more flavor.
Serving Suggestions
This Couscous Arugula Salad is fresh and light, making it perfect to serve alongside other dishes. Enjoy it with proteins, soups, and other sides.
- Meats: Serve this salad with Braised Beef Short Ribs (VIDEO), Baked Chicken Skewers in the Oven, Ribeye Steak, and Air Fryer Pork Chops (VIDEO).
- Seafood: Pair it with Panko Crusted Salmon, Pan Fried Cod with Sautéed Vegetables, Cajun Shrimp, or Cajun Shrimp.
- Soups: Enjoy this Couscous Arugula Salad with a bowl of Potato Leek Soup, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, She Crab Soup, or Cream of Mushroom Soup.
- Sides: Pair it with a side dish, like these Super Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Garlic Asparagus, Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli, or Parmesan Roasted Potatoes.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can prepare the couscous ahead of time and saute the mushrooms. Just store them in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the salad.
Storing: If you store this Couscous Arugula Salad in an airtight container, it will remain fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze: Depending on what other ingredients are in the salad will determine if you can freeze it or now. Couscous alone CAN be frozen, but ingredients like arugula, DO NOT freeze well.
More Delicious Salads!
Full Recipe Instructions
Couscous Arugula Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz Israeli couscous uncooked
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/4 cup green onion chopped
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms sliced
- 2 cups arugula
- 4 tbsp white balsamic vinegar divided
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Soak the raisins in hot water for 30 minutes. This will help soften them up so they can better absorb the rest of the salad ingredients
- Now, sauté the sliced mushrooms until they soften. Then add the minced garlic and 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar. Sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Cook the couscous according to the package and drain out the water. Careful not to overcook it.
- In a large bowl, combine couscous, raisins, chopped green onion, sautéed mushrooms, 4 tbsp olive oil, and 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar.
- Then add salt, pepper, and arugula. Toss to combine. Serve chilled.
Notes
- Soak the raisins- Let the raisins sit in hot water for about 30 minutes so they become plump and absorb more of the salad ingredient flavors.
- Don’t overcook the couscous– Make sure to keep a close eye on it when it’s cooking. overcooked couscous will become mushy.
- Don’t use the red balsamic vinegar– I know that the red type is more commonly used, but it has a very different taste so stick with the white version.
- Serve chilled– Like all salad recipes, this one tastes the best when it’s nice and cold. It makes it refreshing as well.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on Aug 14, 2016. We have tweaked it a bit since then.
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Claire Bunker says
We love this salad – as either a side with grilled chicken, or an easy lunch on its own. So good, healthy and hearty. Thank you!
Dina says
You are very welcome Claire! 🙂 Awesome to hear you loved this couscous salad! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback! I hope you try more recipes from my food blog. 🙂
Jo-Ann says
I’ve been making this for the past year, and I’ve loved it. But last week I tried it with extra course bulgur. And that really good. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Dina says
Jo-Anna, I am glad to hear that you make this salad all the time! Thank you for the kind feedback 🙂
Annie says
Absolutely delicious (and pretty, too!) I may or may not have accidentally eaten almost ALL of it shortly after making. Guess I have to make an extra batch for the family!
Dina says
Haha, I don’t blame you, Annie! This salad is so addictive! I am so glad you loved it!
Julie says
Exactly the same kind as in the picture
Julie says
Hi! How did your Israeli cos cos turned out so white? In the recipe it said to follow package instructions to cook it. I did. It cooked well, but it’s like wheat it’s not white( brownish, has different shades)
Just want to know maybe you have a tip.
Thanks
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Julie, which type of couscous did you use? There is a little difference between plain couscous and Israeli couscous.
Quyen says
Great recipe! My family loves it.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Quyen!