High Protein Summer Couscous Salad with Crispy Chickpeas

Crunchy chickpeas meet RiceSelect® Pearl Couscous in this warm-weather stunner of a salad. Loaded with crisp veggies, briny feta, and tender couscous kissed with punchy Dijon vinaigrette, every bite is a riot of color, flavor and fun.

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Serves
4
Total Time
30
Prep Time
15
Cook Time
15

Ingredients

  • null 1 cup RiceSelect® Tri-Color Couscous
  • null 2 cups vegetable broth
  • null 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • null 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • null 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • null 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • null 2 tsp salt, divided
  • null 1 tsp pepper, divided
  • null 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • null 1 cucumber, diced
  • null 1 bell pepper (any color), diced
  • null 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
  • null 1 cup fresh spinach
  • null 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
  • null 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • null 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • null 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare couscous according to package directions. Replace water with vegetable broth.
  2. Pat the chickpeas dry with a paper towel, then toss them in a bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread the chickpeas on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and crispy, shaking the pan halfway through.
  3. In a large bowl, combine couscous, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, spinach, feta cheese, and parsley.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste.
  5. Toss salad with dressing. Gently fold in chickpeas. Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  6. Recipe Tip: For additional protein, add hard boiled eggs and nuts of your choice. Add unflavored protein powder to dressing to make a high protein dressing.