This super easy vegan Israeli Couscous Salad recipe stars white beans and a mix of raw and lightly-steamed veggies in homemade, creamy, avocado-lemon dressing.
Y'all, I'm on a real aquafaba kick lately. That means opening a lot of cans of beans during recipe testing with no real plan for what to do with those beans.
#foodbloggerproblems
This vegan Israeli Couscous Salad with white beans is a simple way to put some of those beans to good use. And it turned out so deliciously!
More Hearty Salads: Sesame Shiitake Kelp Noodle Salad, Quinoa Pomegranate Salad
Dave and I have been eating out more than usual lately, and we've had some really great grain salads.
It got me thinking about how I used to make cold, grain salads all the time. Why did I ever stop? They're so easy to toss together, and they make great leftovers for lunch the next day.
Consider this recipe me getting back on the grain salad train! Toot toot!
What is Israeli Couscous?
Israeli couscous is different from just plain couscous. It's not a grain, it's actually tiny, pearl-shaped pasta and has that nice, chewy consistency and neutral flavor of pasta.
It's a lovely alternative to rice or quinoa in a grain salad, if you're looking to mix up your textures a bit.
The cooking -- like with any pasta -- is very hands-off. That means you can prep the rest of the salad ingredients while the pasta boils.
Vegan Israeli Couscous Salad in 30 Minutes
Like many of my quick recipes, getting this on the table in the alloted time is all about staying busy in the kitchen.
While you wait for the water for your Israeli couscous to boil, chop your veggies and drain your beans. Once the Israeli couscous is in the pan, you can steam your veggies as it cooks.
The Creamy Avocado Dressing takes only a few minutes in the blender, so you can easily make it while the veggies steam. That way, you are all set to toss the salad together right when the Israeli couscous is ready to drain.
If you make the most of your cooking time, this salad will be on the table in 30 minutes flat. You can do it!
Easy Vegan Israeli Couscous Salad Recipe with Creamy Avocado Dressing
Ingredients
For the Israeli Couscous Salad
- 1 cup Israeli couscous
- 2 cups water
- 2 carrots - peeled and chopped into 1/2" coins
- 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets - about 1 small head of broccoli
- 1/4 cup minced sweet onion
- 1 cup stemmed and chopped kale
For the Creamy Avocado Dressing
- 1 Haas avocado
- 1 1/2 fresh lemons - juiced
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic
Instructions
Make the Israeli Couscous Salad
- In a saucepan, bring the water to a rolling boil. Add the Israeli couscous, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes, until it’s tender. Drain off any excess water, if needed. Transfer it to a large bowl when it’s done.
- Meanwhile, steam the carrots and broccoli lightly on the stovetop or in the pressure cooker. I used my pressure cooker set to high pressure for 1 minute, then did a quick release. You want the broccoli to turn bright green but still have a little crunch. If you’re steaming on the stovetop, steam for 3-4 minutes. Rinse under cold water, drain, then toss with the Israeli couscous mixture. Fold in the minced onion.
- In a small bowl, spoon 2 tablespoons of the Creamy Avocado Dressing onto the kale. Massage with your hands until the kale softens, then toss it into the Israeli couscous mixture. Toss with 4-6 tablespoons of the dressing, and serve with the rest of the dressing on the side.
- This will keep for a couple of days in the fridge, so dig into those leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Make the Creamy Avocado Dressing
- Combine all of the ingredients in your blender or food processor. Puree until you have a nice, smooth dressing.
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
Pinned and tweeting! Looks fabulous Becky!
Becky Striepe
Thank you, Amy!