Description
This Basil Couscous Salad is a fresh, vibrant dish featuring pearl couscous cooked in chicken broth, fresh basil dressing, crunchy pepitas, sweet corn, and tangy Parmesan cheese. It’s perfect as a light lunch or a side dish, with a luscious homemade basil dressing that brings all the flavors together. Easy to prepare and great for make-ahead meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- 1 large head Romaine lettuce (about 12–15 cups chopped or 2 medium heads)
- 2 cups fresh white or yellow corn, cooked and cut off the cob
- 1 cup craisins
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup pepitas
Dressing
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3–4 green onions, roughly chopped
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Couscous: Bring the chicken broth or water, olive oil, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the pearl couscous, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the couscous is tender. Drain any excess liquid and set aside.
- Cool the Couscous: Remove from heat and break up the couscous to prevent clumping. Let it cool completely before using in the salad. This can be done 1-2 days ahead of time.
- Prepare the Lettuce: Wash, dry, and chop the Romaine lettuce. Using a salad spinner is recommended. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Prepare the Corn: Cook fresh corn by your preferred method, such as grilling. Once cooled, cut kernels off the cob. If using frozen corn, you can add it directly to the salad without thawing or cooking.
- Make the Basil Dressing: Combine basil leaves, mayonnaise, green onions, buttermilk, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large salad bowl, add the chopped lettuce, craisins, grated Parmesan, pepitas, cooled couscous, and corn. Drizzle about half of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Garnish and Serve: Reserve some craisins, Parmesan, pepitas, couscous, and corn to sprinkle over the top after tossing to showcase the ingredients. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.
Notes
- This salad can be varied by adding cucumbers, tomatoes, or a protein like grilled or rotisserie chicken.
- The dressing and salad components can be made 1-2 days ahead and combined shortly before serving to prevent soggy lettuce.
- Store salad components separately until ready to serve, as the salad does not keep well once tossed with dressing.
- If fresh corn is unavailable, frozen corn kernels can be used without thawing or cooking.
