Couscous Salad with Tuna
The perfect lunch would have to be this yummy tuna couscous salad with fresh herbs and a zesty lemon dressing.
Not only is it heavenly for a healthy lunch but It’s also a great side. If tuna isn’t your thing no worries, this salad makes a great base and can be topped with grilled chicken, crispy skin salmon or even steak.
I have made this salad countless times and I enjoy it more and more every time. I love making this for when friends come around for lunch as the pops of colour really stand out and make the salad look so pretty.
It’s seriously so quick and easy to come together. In less than 15 minutes this salad is done and ready to be devoured!
For some extra creaminess you can add some feta crumbled over the top! Everything tastes better with cheese right 🙂
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Couscous salad with tuna
I love how salads have evolved and changed so much over the last 10 years. We are now experimenting with different flavours and textures.
The best part about this tuna couscous salad is that not only is it fresh and healthy but It’s also really filling. Tuna is low in calories and high in protein making it a great source of energy.
I use Sirena tuna and I am loving all the wonderful flavour infusions such as garlic infused tuna and basil infused tuna. It’s so so good!!
Beautiful flavours from the flaked tuna, sweet cherry tomatoes and green peas paired with the freshness from dill and coriander and the lemony dressing makes this salad delightful.
It’s also a great salad to bring to a BBQ or picnic.
What is couscous
Couscous is a staple dish of North Africa but is also used in Mediterranean cooking. It’s made from a type of wheat called semolina.
Although couscous is commonly mistaken for a grain It’s actually a type of pasta. Couscous is basically tiny balls of pasta made from semolina flour.
Couscous can be served warm as a side dish to accompany stews or served cold as the base of a salad. It’s also a great substitute for rice.
Instant couscous is readily available in the pasta section of your local supermarket. No cooking is required, all you need to do is boil the kettle and you can have fluffy couscous in five minutes.
What you will need
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Dijon Mustard
- Lemon
- Frozen peas
- Instant couscous
- Chicken stock; I use Massel
- Spring Onion
- Sirena Tuna
- Mixed colour cherry tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Fresh dill
- Fresh Coriander
Can you make this salad ahead
You can make this salad a day ahead and it will intensify the wonderful flavours. Store the salad in the fridge in a glass pyrex container.
If making ahead, store the dressing in a jar so you can simply pour over when needed. I also recommend bringing the salad to room temperature before serving.
How to make the dressing
The dressing is so good you are going to want to use this in all of your salads!
I love mixing up all of my dressings in my dressing shaker to make sure It’s well combined. If you do not have one then I highly recommend the OXO Salad Dressing Shaker. It’s also great for transporting the dressing as it has a leakproof seal.
For the zesty dressing, simply add the olive oil, lemon juice and zest and dijon mustard to the shaker along with a good pinch of salt and pepper and shake well until combined. You can also do this in a screw top jar.
How to make the perfect fluffy couscous
With instant couscous making fluffy couscous could not be easier. My tip to making your couscous be rich in flavour is to use stock.
When making couscous the ratio is always 1:1 so for every cup of couscous you will need one cup of water or stock.
STEP 1
Boil the kettle
STEP 2
Place 1 cup of couscous in a heatproof bowl with 1 chicken stock cube and a teaspoon of salt.
STEP 3
Pour over 1 cup of boiling water and cover with glad wrap or a large plate. leave to rest for 4-5 minutes.
STEP 4
Remove glad wrap and fluff up the couscous with a fork.
Putting together the salad
Start by preparing the couscous as I have described above.
Next we need to blanch the peas in boiling water for a few minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water and add to the large bowl with the couscous.
Add the flaked tuna, spring onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, dill and coriander.
Finally pour over your dressing and mix gently until all the ingredients are combined and the couscous is well coated in the beautiful dressing.
It’s time to dig in and enjoy 🙂
If you make this recipe I would love to hear from you! Please leave me a comment below.
XXX
Tools to make the job easier
OXO Good grips salad dressing shaker
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Couscous salad with tuna
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 tsp chicken stock or 1 cube
- 425 g can tuna in oil drained and flaked up with a fork
- 2 spring onions trimmed and finely chopped
- 1 punnet mixed colour cherry tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 1 small bunch fresh dill leaves picked and finely chopped
- 1 small bunch corriander trimmed and finely chopped
Instructions
- For the dressing place the olive oil, mustard, lemon zest and juice in a salad dressing shaker or jar along with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Shake well and set aside until needed.
- Blanch peas in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Set aside.
- Place couscous in a heatproof bowl with chicken stock, 1tsp salt and 1tbsp of olive oil. Pour over 1 cup of boiling water and cover with cling wrap or a large plate. Leave to rest for 4-5 minutes then fluff up with a fork.
- Add the flaked tuna, spring onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, dill and coriander.
- Pour over the dressing and gently mix all together until combined and the couscous has soaked up the lovely dressing.
I have heard a lot about couscous but never really had it. Your salad looks so delicious 😋 that I have to look into trying your recipe. Awesome most, very informative🙏
Thank you 🙂
This looks really yummy! And it sounds quite easy to make too – which is always good. 🙂
The only thing I need to change is the stock, but I’m sure veggie stock will work.
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
This looks delicious, and beautiful too with all the bright colors! I’m gluten free so I was thinking I could sub quinoa for the couscous. I also love your idea of subbing salmon for the tuna – I think it would be wonderful either way.
Thanks Katrina! Great idea 🙂
I really loved this salad! I add parsley to too and it’s delicious!
I love parsley!! So fresh! Thanks Rachael
Love this recipe was delicious and so quick and simple!! Will def make again thanks
I love this recipe too thanks for your feedback 🙂