Spring Pea Feta Couscous Salad with Basil Vinaigrette Recipe

Introduction

This Spring Pea Feta Couscous Salad with Basil Vinaigrette is a bright and refreshing dish perfect for warmer days. Combining tender peas, tangy feta, and crunchy nuts with fragrant basil dressing, it makes a delightful side or light main. Ready in just 25 minutes, it’s an easy way to celebrate spring flavors.

Ingredients

• ½ cup uncooked couscous (not pearl couscous)
• ½ cup water or chicken broth
• 1 pound frozen peas
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1 cup packed basil leaves
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 shallot (cut in half)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: In a medium saucepan, bring the water or chicken broth to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in the couscous, cover, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork once done.
2. Step 2: While the couscous cooks, bring a large pot of water to boil. Prepare an ice bath by filling a medium bowl with ice and cold water. Add peas to boiling water and blanch for 1-2 minutes until bright green. Drain and immediately transfer peas to the ice bath to stop cooking. Drain again before adding to the salad.
3. Step 3: In a serving bowl, combine the fluffed couscous, blanched peas, chopped parsley, crumbled feta, and chopped walnuts or pecans.
4. Step 4: For the basil vinaigrette, combine basil leaves, olive oil, shallot halves, minced garlic, honey, white wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning or honey as desired.
5. Step 5: To serve warm, toss the salad immediately with your desired amount of dressing. To serve cold, refrigerate salad and dressing separately for 1-2 hours. Before serving, toss half of the dressing with the salad and adjust seasoning and dressing amount to taste.

Tips & Variations

• Use chicken broth instead of water for cooking couscous to add extra flavor.
• Swap walnuts for pecans or toasted pine nuts for a different crunch.
• Add cherry tomatoes or cucumber for additional freshness and color.
• For a vegan version, omit the feta or use a plant-based cheese alternative.
• If you don’t have a blender, finely mince the basil and shallot and whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together.

Storage

Store the salad and dressing separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Mixing just before serving helps maintain freshness and texture. Reheat gently if serving warm, or enjoy chilled straight from the fridge.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use fresh peas instead of frozen?

Yes, fresh peas work wonderfully. Just blanch them the same way to keep their vibrant color and tender texture.

How do I keep the salad from getting soggy?

Keep the dressing separate until just before serving. Dressing the salad too early can make the couscous and nuts lose their texture.

Spring Pea Feta Couscous Salad with Basil Vinaigrette Recipe

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★★★★★

4.8 from 146 reviews

This Spring Pea Feta Couscous Salad with Basil Vinaigrette is a fresh, vibrant dish perfect for spring or summer. Featuring tender couscous, blanched bright green peas, creamy feta, crunchy nuts, and a flavorful basil vinaigrette, it’s a quick and easy salad that’s both satisfying and refreshing. Ideal as a side or light main, it can be served warm or chilled.

• Author: Dylan
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Salad
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Mediterranean
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Salad Ingredients

• ½ cup uncooked couscous (not pearl couscous)
• ½ cup water or chicken broth
• 1 pound frozen peas
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Basil Vinaigrette

• 1 cup packed basil leaves
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 shallot (cut in half)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook Couscous: In a medium saucepan, bring the water or chicken broth to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in the couscous, cover, and let it sit for 10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff the couscous with a fork to separate the grains.
2. Blanch Peas: While the couscous cooks, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath by filling a medium bowl with ice and cold water. Add the frozen peas to the boiling water and blanch for 1-2 minutes until bright green and tender-crisp. Drain the peas and immediately transfer them to the ice bath to cool quickly. Drain again before adding to the salad.
3. Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large serving bowl, mix the fluffed couscous, chilled peas, chopped parsley, crumbled feta cheese, and chopped walnuts or pecans until evenly distributed.
4. Prepare Basil Vinaigrette: In a blender, combine the packed basil leaves, olive oil, halved shallot, minced garlic, honey, white wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, and a generous pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, or honey as desired to balance flavors.
5. Assemble and Serve: To serve warm, toss the salad immediately with desired amount of dressing and serve. For a cold salad, refrigerate the salad components and dressing separately for 1-2 hours. Before serving, toss half the vinaigrette with the salad and adjust with additional dressing, salt, and pepper to taste.

Notes

• You can substitute chicken broth for water to add more flavor to the couscous.
• Use either walnuts or pecans depending on your preference; lightly toasting nuts enhances their flavor.
• For a sweeter vinaigrette, add additional honey gradually to taste.
• This salad can be made a few hours ahead and refrigerated; just add dressing before serving.
• Use fresh basil leaves for the vinaigrette for best flavor; avoid dried basil.
• For a vegan version, omit feta cheese or substitute with a plant-based cheese alternative.

Keywords: Spring pea salad, couscous salad, feta cheese salad, basil vinaigrette, Mediterranean salad, quick salad recipe