Greek-style couscous salad with roasted zucchini chunks (in air fryer or oven) and delicious Feta Cheese. With added green olives, fresh cucumber and herbs, this easy salad is light, filling and extra healthy. It can be served as a salad or a main meal during hot summer days.
Lovely rich couscous salad with vibrant roasted zucchini (cooked in air fryer/oven/grill), delicious Feta cheese and olives. This Greek-style couscous salad is perfect as a loaded lunch salad or even light summer meal.
Is couscous gluten-free?
Short answer – no couscous (in all it’s varieties) is not naturally gluten free. Couscous is made from semolina, which is a type of wheat that naturally contains gluten. A good naturally gluten free substitute to couscous is millet. It has similar cooking properties and appearance and can be used in a variety of meals.
Couscous salad – Ingredients
- Moroccan couscous – the finest variety in terms of size, Moroccan couscous is ideal for this salad.
- Zucchini, roasted – roasted zucchini add much needed depth and charter to this salad.
- Cucumber, fresh – lovely seasonal cucumber (with skin on preferably) blends well with the roasted zucchini and creates a fresh feel.
- Olives – green, pitted olives (or Kalamata olives) work well.
- Spring onions – fresh spring onions, cut in circles.
- Olive oil, extra virgin – blends everything together to a smooth consistency.
- Feta Cheese, crumbled – good old Feta Cheese is the perfect topping for today’s loaded salad. If you’d like substitute with Ricotta Salata (the Italian ”Feta Cheese”) or white cheese made with cow’s milk.
- Pinch of salt, optional -as Feta Cheese is usually pretty salty, I skip the extra salt.
How to make Couscous Salad with Zucchini (Video):
Roasted zucchini couscous salad – Tips
- Roast zucchini in an air fryer. It takes much less time and effort. If you do not have one roast them in the oven, preferably on ventilation. You can also use grilled zucchini if you want.
- You can prepare couscous and zucchini in advance. Store in air tight container, preferably glass container.
- Interchange couscous with millet for a gluten-free version of this salad.
- Interchange Feta cheese with Ricotta Salata. Ricotta Salata is often times referred to as the Italian Feta Cheese.
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Roasted Zucchini Couscous Salad with Feta Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup Moroccan couscous , cooked
- 3 medium zucchini, cut in chunks , roasted
- 1 cup cucumber, cut in small chunks , (1 small cucumber)
- 1/3 cup fresh (spring) onion, finely minced
- 1/2 cup green olives (or Kalamata) , pitted
- 4 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 1/2 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
- pinch of salt , optional
- water for cooking couscous in
Instructions
- In a sauce pan add couscous and water ( to double cover the couscous or more). Bring to a boil and let simmer, until fully cooked. Stir frequently to ensure couscous does not stick to the pan. Add more water if needed. Once cooked, strain well though a fine-mesh.
- Meanwhile, cut zucchini (with skin on) in small chunks. In a small bowl add 1 tbsp. olive oil and some salt. Mix well to coat zucchini chucks on all sides. Place in air fryer basket and fry on 400F/200C for about 10-15 minutes, until cooked. Alternatively roast on non-stick baking sheet in the oven.
- Cut cucumber in small cubes and dice spring onions in small circles. Prepare green olives and cut in circles or leave whole.
- Then, in a salad bowl add cooked couscous, roasted zucchini, green olives, olive oil, cucumber (cut in small cubes), spring onion (minced), crumbled feta cheese and salt. Mix well until combined. Enjoy!
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