Sunny's Simple Summertime Couscous Salad
This easy and refreshing couscous salad with fresh herbs, sweet peppers, and juicy oranges comes together quickly using a pressure cooker. Perfect for sunny summer days, it's vibrant, flavorful, and versatile for any meal.
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 2 cups diced English cucumber
- 6 red, yellow, and orange mini sweet peppers diced
- 8 to 10 leaves fresh basil leaves snipped or torn
- 8 to 10 leaves fresh mint leaves snipped or torn
- 1 navel orange supremed (sectioned neatly)
- 1 ½ cups dry pearl couscous cooked per package
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- to taste Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Instructions
- Start by cooking the pearl couscous in your pressure cooker as the package says. Make sure to follow the timing for perfect tenderness. Quick release the pressure when done and drain any extra water.
- Let the couscous cool while you prep the dressing. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together honey, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and orange juice. You want it smooth and well combined.
- Dice those English cucumbers and mini sweet peppers. Tear or snip the basil and mint leaves so they release flavor better. Suprem the navel orange carefully to keep the juicy sections intact.
- Add the cooked couscous to the bowl with dressing. Add the cucumbers, diced sweet peppers, basil, mint, and orange sections on top.
- Gently toss everything together. Be kinda delicate so the orange sections don’t mush. You want all the flavors to mix evenly. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust if you feel it needs more zing or sweetness.
Notes
You can serve immediately for fresh vibrant crunch or refrigerate up to 2 hours for flavors to meld. Slow release works better when reheating couscous later. Enjoy right away or pack it for lunch; this salad holds up great and stays fresh with every bite.