Lemon Asparagus Couscous Salad with Tomatoes makes a vibrant Spring pasta salad, perfect to bring to a potluck or to serve as a BBQ side dish.
Lemon Asparagus Couscous Salad
Pearl couscous (otherwise known as Isreali couscous) is essentially perfectly round pasta with a delightful chewiness that’s ideal as a base for salads like this one! Here I tossed it with asparagus, tomatoes and lemon juice to make a vibrant Spring pasta salad that is perfect as a main dish or even to make as a side dish if you are grilling for Mother’s Day this weekend! Serve this with a Whole Roasted Chicken, Grilled Salmon Kabobs or Grilled Bourbon Chicken.
I’m not usually a fan of the taste of whole wheat pasta, but I don’t mind it at all when the pasta is a smaller. Orzo and pearl couscous are all delicious in pasta salads. When I use whole wheat I cook it a few minutes longer than I would if I eat it warm. I just adore it’s pearl shaped texture and also found it to be the perfect shape for my daughter when she started eating solid foods, years ago.
What to serve with Lemon Asparagus Couscous Salad
Any protein would be great, here’s a few suggestions:
- Grilled Salmon Kabobs
- Whole Roasted Salmon
- Grilled Lamb Chops
- Whole Roasted Chicken
- Grilled Bourbon Chicken
Meal Prep
This couscous salad can be eaten room temperature or chilled, and leftovers are great the next day for lunch. Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Lemon Asparagus Couscous Salad with Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 6 oz whole wheat pearl couscous
- 3/4 lb thin asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed
- 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1/4 cup red onion, minced
- 1 1/2 lemons, juiced
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add asparagus and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
- Remove with a large slotted spoon and rinse in a colander in the sink under cold water to stop it from cooking.
- Add the couscous to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.
- Chop the asparagus into small 1/2 inch pieces.
- Drain the couscous and rinse under cold water, place in a large bowl.
- Add the chopped asparagus, tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper to the bowl.
- Taste for salt and pepper and serve room temperature or chilled.
This dish is so easy to put together and tastes so fresh and light. Summer is coming and it will pair so well with grilled meats.
I made this last night for some company. Grilled the asparagus and onions as another reviewer suggested with a bit of olive oil. The recipe was delicious and will definitely make it again. Everyone said it was great! (Subbed regular couscous due to what I had on hand – otherwise I followed the ingredient list).
I am making this for the third time !! I double the recipe and eat it for a week!
Very pretty with all the colors, especially if use different colors of tomatoes. I left the onion out as not crazy about raw onion but I think it needed it, and on having again may add a bit of onion or something else to pep it up a bit. ( will take suggestions) I roasted the asparagus with a few herbs salt and pepper and then chopped that up to add to the couscous. Used a tri color couscous not whole wheat. A great side dish for fish, did the tilapia as suggested in the weeks menu. Had it room temp but want to see how it is cold too, which may change its profile too.
Made this recipe and thought it was a good base of a recipe but needs something else. Reheated leftovers with butter, garlic, dried basil, & dried mint. This was much better. Also, the amount of water should be a about 2 1/2 cups. This way you can boil the asparagus and then use the nutrient filled water to cook a box of couscous.
This is what she tells you to do. You just drain it instead of using the exact amount to be absorbed by the couscous.
I made this as is and I agree. It definitely deeded the spices. Garlic, fresh cilantro and a little fresh basil. Add these and it’s a 5. Will make again with the additions.
This is a summer staple. The recipe is perfect as is, but I roast/grill my asparagus and red onions first, then chop and toss. For a complete meal prep, I’ll add a can of chickpeas and top with grilled chicken. SO GOOD
Yum!
I made and loved the flavor of this recipe! It was quick, easy, and tasty… BUT, the recipe shows that the WW pts are 1pt per serving. However, when you click the link to track it in the WW app, the points show as 4 per serving. That is a disappointing discrepancy!
Sorry for the typo- I have checked and updated, it it 4 points.
Absolutely delicious served warm or cold! This is a great side dish to bring to a party.
Perfect blend of flavors. Love that no oil was used in this recipe. I varied by subbing cilantro and adding crumbled feta. A keeper!
This didn’t do it for me, or my family. Not sure if I made it correctly, but it lacked flavor and was just ok.
This is so flavorful and easy to prepare! I left out the onions since I didn’t have any, but it’s a fabulous dish! I will definitely be making this for all my summer potlucks! Thanks, Gina!
So flavorful! Love this recipe will be making again. My grocery store didn’t have peal Couscous so I used regular and it still came out amazing! would love to try again if I can find pearl! thanks!
Perfect flavor combination. I sometimes use other pastas as well, but it’s always tasty.
Yummy, so yummy!!!
I loved it….super easy, dollar friendly and pretty healthy!!!
Thank you for sharing!!
Absolutely delicious! Gina has never ever disappointed!
Thanks Chanel!
So good! Made exactly as written, and I would not change a thing. I plan on making it again this week.
I’m def an add more type recipe follower. This was fantastic on its own but I added basil, radishes, cucumber, pickled jalapenos (not hot) and some rough shaved parm.
I made this with grilled shrimp on top. This is the best! My 15 year old daughter said that we definitely need to make this again.
Thanks for all the great recipes
This is very tasty! Added paprika for a bit more depth of flavour and chickpeas (after trying the recipe as directed). Would definitely make this again.
Absolutely delicious! Light & fresh. I could eat this everyday.
Quick, easy and full of flavor! A different twist from the boring pasta salads…
Loved it!
Yummy summer salad. Made it with the Greek Chicken Kabobs. I had for lunch the next day. Kids thought it was a little too lemony, but I liked it.
I love this salad! I’ve made it twice for guests and they loved it and my husband loves it as well. Light, refreshing and different. As a texture person, this is excellent! We like it best chilled. This has made it to my list of go-to recipes, especially when entertaining.
I do add a little more lemon and onion to suit our tastes. I appreciate recipes that use a modicum of restraint on some flavors which allow adjustment to suit our family’s needs.
Thank you so much for this recipe!
I made this as a main meal salad, plant based eater. Added garbanzo beans and basil. Amazing!
Love this – making for a third time!
I found this to be very bland.
I made it exactly to the recipe first. After that I doubled the red onion and chopped rather than minced it. I also added a little more lemon juice. We really like it, but I think it is a good template for adding spices of your choice. Maybe some five spice, cinnamon, cumin, or curry? Dill or tarragon? I just made it again (we use the smaller size couscous because my husband is not crazy about the larger pasta) and might try adding a spice to my portion.
I love this recipe! So far I’ve enjoyed it with roasted or rotisserie chicken.
We loved this recipe. I added large shrimp to it for a tasty light dinner
Love this recipe! Used quinoa instead of cous cous because it was what we had and added some chickpeas and feta.
I made this for my lunch meal prep this week and the first few bites when I tested it were amazing! I added a large grilled chicken breast chopped up to the bowl before I divided the servings into daily containers and I can’t wait for lunch! I was not happy with the whole wheat couscous I ordered from Amazon, so I may get regular pearl couscous to try next time. This is going to be one of my favorite salads this summer!
I made this salad for a barbeque side dish. There was not a grain left over. Everyone, including men and a teenager commented on how good it was. The assembly was fairly easy. The quartering of the grape tomatoes was the only time consuming part and I did that while my grain was cooking. I used farro as that is what I had and it was perfect. Kudos to Gina for another great recipe!
love your recipes they are so good and perfect for my sise family, thank you keep up the good work!
I always cook any pasta or grain I use in a salad in chicken broth/stock rather than water. It gives it a much better flavor and it doesn’t taste like chicken if anyone is concerned about that.
I’d add a bunch of fresh chopped mint and parsley to this,
and make a great vinaigrette. I’m not fond of olive oil so I use as little as possible in my vinaigrette recipe and I use fresh orange rather than lemon; some chopped garlic, olive oil, orange juice, champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar), S & P. That’s it.
Just delicious! Made recipe as it is written. Served as a side for a luncheon. This salad got better each day.
Easy. Fresh tasting. Pretty too!
So easy and delicious! Tasted even better the next day. Will definitely make it again!
I had never made cous cous before this recipe and now I love it. this is my favorite summer salad, which I pair with either grilled chicken or 2 drumsticks as a meal-prepped work lunch!
Delicious. Realized last minute didn’t have the couscous on hand. Used orzo instead.
Also roasted the tomatoes for about 10 minutes. I don’t like raw ones.
I made this with basil and herb cous cous. It wasn’t whole grain unfortunately and the flavoring probably added calories but it was delicious!!! And the box was only 5 oz. To make up for it, I also skipped the olive oil as the flavored cous cous had a good texture for adding veggies. This is my new fave lunch!!
There is really nothing to this salad but boy is it tasty! I used all the ingredients listed except olive oil ( I am on WW) and it was still very good. My husband is the master at spicing things up to make them taste better so I asked him to taste it to see what it was missing and he said “Nothing, this is really good!” I felt proud 🙂 I chilled it in the fridge for about an hour and I tasted it before and after the fridge and I do have to say chilling it makes the flavors come out more. Great dish to bring to parties!
Oh my… I made this last night (to go alongside your creamy zucchini soup!) and it is to die for. Incredibly easy to make, and so fresh tasting! I love the lemon flavor and the texture of the couscous. My grocery store only had regular (not whole wheat) but the calorie count appears to be the same. Thanks for another total winner!
This was such a great recipe. It was delicious. Will definitely make it again.
Hi. How far ahead can this be made? 1 day? I'd love to make it for a dinner party but have never used couscous before. I'm not sure how it will handle being prepared ahead of time. Thanks.
I'm not an expert but I made it Tuesday night and had some today and it was delicious! It should be good for a few days at the least, esp if you use the pearled couscous since it's bigger and won't crumble.
What would be a substitution for tomatoes? I sometimes have an allergic reaction to too much acidity…and I'm a little weary of tomato's and lemon juice in the same dish. Any suggestions? I do love the colorfulness of this dish with the tomatoes though!
I would try chopped red pepper and if you don’t want the crunch, you could use roasted red pepper — either done yourself in the broiler or taken [and rinsed] from a jar. That would add color and the red pepper would work well with both the couscous and the asparagus. In fact, I might try that myself.
Very tasty! I also added the zest from my lemons, and I loved the intense citrus flavor. This is precisely the type of thing I like to make ahead and take to work for lunch…filling, healthy, and tastes great. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Is there anything I can use instead of asparagus? And what about adding some cilantro.
Hi Gina: Is the 6oz of Pearled Couscous before or after it is cooked.
Can this be made the night before or does it need to be made the day of? I've never really cooked with couscous, so I don't want it to turn.
just made this to take for lunch tomorrow! and its delish! I also used the garlic herb kind of couscous and it works with the rest of the ingredients.
Is it ok to make ahead with dressing added or should I wait on dr easing
Mnham!
O Caldeirão e a Colher de Pau
Made this for a side dish last night. Everybody loved it. Very light and refreshing. Will be making weekly for the summer months. Thanks for the great recipe Gina.
Made this for dinner, but I substituted orzo pasta for the couscous since I couldn't find any. It was still light, fresh, and so delicious!
Made this yesterday for Mother's Day luncheon. Everyone loved it. Only variation, I used a Tri-Color Pear Couscous – it made a lovely presentation. I made a lot so I could have leftovers for lunch today & adding a bit of Feta. Thanks for a great recipe!
This was Great! Thanks so much.
this looks great
How much Quinoa have you/would you use. Surely not 6 ounces. Coucous is much heavier.
This was really good. MH is not a fan of couscous or quinoa (texture issue) but he enjoyed this. Lol. Next time I will try it with farro.
I am actually making this for a Mothers Day party at a friends house, but will be using quinoa in place of couscous since a few people maintain gluten-free diets. I think it will be delicious!
Gina,
My boyfriend despises onions of all varieties, including shallots and chives… Is there anything else that you could recommend which would be similar to use in recipes such as this- or is the only option just to always completely omit one ingredient?
Thanks!
My mother is the same way with onions. My hubby doesn't like cilantro or tomatoes. It's unfathomable, but I just try and make a little bit their way and then add the good stuff for me. OR put it aside in a separate bowl for individual servings. Oh bother!
I'm not a fan of onions either. I either use a fine grater and grate the onions in(because I don't like to find pieces) or I sub crushed garlic in most recipes.
Sounds delicious!
www.the-savvy-kitchen.com
this looks like corn would work as well – fresh off the cobb. Yum!
Looks soooo good!
Pretty and yummy bowl of deliciousness!
I forgot to mention I also buy a 3 lb bag of Roland Farro from Amazon – much cheaper than TJ's or WF
I bought the Osem Israeli couscous on Amazon – very reasonable! Can't wait to make this recipe!!
yum! I love pearl couscous and this is such a delicious and springy recipe.
I can't eat cous cous due to Celiac disease 🙁 Could I replace the cous couse with quinoa? Would I need to adjust the other ingredients if I did that?
Drea I made it with quinoa and it turned out great. I was thinking cous cous and grabbed the quinoa instead, but nice accident!
Sure, quinoa would be perfect!
I used quinoa too because my store didn't have whole wheat couscous. It was really good!
Picking up asparagas tomorrow! Could I use regular whole wheat cous cous? Does it change the points?
Should be the same if you use the same weight of couscous.
This looks fabulous great Spring Summer dish…thank you for sharing it……..with love Janice
Yum! This is definitely what I'm making to bring to our families bbq to celebrate MY first mothers day as a momma 🙂
Hi Gina, I love pearl couscous (and your blog!!) but can't find it in my neighborhood. Can you tell me what stores sell it? Also, will the points be different if I don't use the wheat version?
They sell it in my supermarket near the rice, but the whole wheat version I get at Wild By Nature which is more of an organic upscale supermarket, like a whole foods. If not, you can use whole wheat orzo, the brand is Rice Selects.
I went to a Middle Eastern grocery store and asked them to point out what I needed. Look at their spices while you are in there–probably fresher and you get more for your buck.
lovely lovely spring salad!
perfection…
This looks like a perfect spring/summer salad! Can't wait to make it!