Salmon Couscous Salad
This warm salmon couscous salad with roasted vegetables and a zesty harissa dressing is one of my favorite flavor-packed dinner recipes. It’s easy to make and full of nourishing ingredients like roasted veggies and heart-healthy salmon bites.
Salmon Couscous Salad with Lemon Harissa Dressing
I truly cannot get enough of the salmon, harissa and couscous combination. If you’ve tried my Harissa Salmon Bowls or Lemon Herb Salmon Skewers with Pearl Couscous, you’ll love this salmon couscous salad.
Pearl couscous, also known as Israeli couscous, gets tossed with roasted carrots & onions and mixed with seasoned baked salmon cubes, feta cheese, crunchy almonds and a zesty harissa dressing. It’s one of those flavor combos that works so well together, and makes for an easy & nourishing weeknight meal.
This recipe is so good for an easy weeknight meal and can be served warm or cold. It’s the perfect all-in-one dish that packs in carbs, veggies, protein and fats.
The couscous mixed with the roasted vegetables, dressing and feta cheese is so delicious on its own with the harissa dressing, but it would also pair well with other proteins like chicken, tofu or chickpeas.
How to make Salmon Couscous Salad
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Pearl couscous, aka Israeli couscous– these toasted pasta pearls are the perfect salad base
- Salmon- skinless, cut into cubes
- Carrots & onions- for added veggies
- Almonds- for a crunch
- Feta cheese- for savory flavor
- Zesty harissa dressing: made with olive oil, lemon juice, harissa, cumin, salt & pepper
Cook the vegetables
Toss the sliced carrots and onion in olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper and bake for 20 minutes
Prepare the salmon
Cut the salmon into 1″ cubes and toss in olive oil and your seasoning blend. Add the salmon to the pre-cooked vegetable pan and finish cooking for another 10-12 minutes
Prepare the pearl couscous
Add the couscous to a pot with a little olive oil and toast for 2-3 minutes. Add water and salt and cook the couscous until all of the water is absorbed.
Assemble the salad
Mix the cooked couscous with the veggies, cubed salmon, feta cheese, almonds and parsley and toss everything in the harissa dressing
This roasted veggie salmon couscous salad is a delicious dinner recipe that can double as meal prep. It combines some of my favorite flavors, and is a nourishing recipe to add to your meal rotation.
More pearl couscous recipes you’ll love:
Chickpea Couscous Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette
Pearl Couscous with Roasted Vegetables & Chickpeas
Pesto Pearl Couscous Salad
Salmon Couscous Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups pearl couscous
- 3 cups water or low-sodium broth
- 4 -5 carrots, peeled
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- Salt & pepper
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Salmon Cubes
- 1 lb skinless salmon, cubed
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- Olive oil
Harissa Lemon Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 2 tsp harissa
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- Salt & pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Cut the carrots on a thin diagonal and add them to a sheet pan with the sliced onions. Drizzle with 1-2 tbsp olive oil and toss with 1/2 tsp paprika and salt and pepper.
- Roast the vegetables for 20 minutes.
- While the veggies roast, add the salmon cubes to a bowl and mix together with a drizzle of olive oil and the listed spices. Toss to combine to coat evenly and set aside.
- After 20 minutes, remove the vegetables from the oven and add the salmon onto the same sheet pan. Finish baking for another 10-12 minutes.
- While that cooks, prepare the couscous by adding it to a pot with a drizzle of olive oil and toasting it on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Pour in 3 cups of water and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot and reduce to simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Set aside and fluff with a fork once cool.
- Combine the harissa lemon dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. I only used half of the amount of the dressing since the veggies and salmon add flavor as well.
- Once the couscous is ready, transfer it to a large salad bowl and top with the roasted vegetables, sliced almonds, parsley and feta cheese. Pour half of the dressing over the top and mix well.
- Add the baked salmon cubes and give it a gently mix. Add more dressing if needed, or reserve any leftover dressing in the fridge.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and served cold, warm or at room temperature.
Easy and super good !!!!
Thank you, Melissa!
Absolutely delicious recipe! Well-written and easy to follow with no modifications. Thank you so much, this will become a staple meal for our family!
Thank you so much Ilana 🙂
I really love all the ingredients you are using in your recipes
Easy to understand
Thank you
I appreciate that Eileen!