Quick Look at this Easy Spring Salad with Couscous and Peas
- Ready In: 30 minutes
- Serves: 10
- Main Ingredients: butter lettuce, asparagus, sugar snap peas (love a sugar snap pea salad), couscous, pistachios, watermelon radish, and the best lemon dill vinaigrette!
- Dietary Info: vegetarian, plant-based, dairy-free friendly, gluten-free friendly
- Best For: any special occasion or dinner party
- Difficulty: Just a few chopping skills, but easy enough for even beginners to impress!
Share and summarize this recipe:
Why We Can’t Stop Making This Salad
- Gorgeous AND delicious!
- Light and refreshing citrus flavor → homemade vinaigrette.
- Minimal cooking required – just a few minutes for the couscous.
- Looks fancy, but super easy to make!
- Serve alongside the best crockpot ham for a lighter side dish at Easter dinner.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Butter Lettuce – feel free to use any type of lettuce, butter lettuce was my favorite for this salad.
- Pearl Couscous – also known as Israeli couscous, a small pasta shaped like tiny pearls. Swap it out for a gluten-free version, if needed.
- Honey Roasted Pistachios – my favorite nut with a touch of sweetness to add some crunch.
- Lemon Dill Vinaigrette – this refreshing 5-ingredient homemade vinaigrette brings the best flavor!
Ingredient Spotlight – What Is A Watermelon Radish?
- A root vegetable that is the size of a golf ball or kiwi fruit.
- It adds a wonderful pop of color and nutrients.
- Simply peel the outside with a vegetable peeler, cut into slices, and then cut those slices in half.
- Such a fun addition to any salad!
How To Make A Spring Salad With Couscous And Peas
Step 1 – Whisk together the lemon dill vinaigrette.
Step 2 – Start with the chopped lettuce as the base of the salad.
Step 3 – Add all of the other salad ingredients on top of the lettuce.
Step 4 – Drizzle the vinaigrette on top right before serving!
Best Ways To Serve A Spring Salad With Couscous
This stunning spring salad recipe can be served up on a platter or tossed in a large serving bowl. Perfect for enjoying alongside a honey glazed ham or garlic herb smoked leg of lamb for a delicious holiday dinner. Or serve it up with a grilled spatchcock chicken for a beautiful dinner party.
Erin’s Testing Tips
After testing this one several times – these were our key takeaways!
- Use fresh lemon juice – a small piece but it really takes the salad to the next level!
- Add the vinaigrette right before serving to prevent sogginess. Once it has been added, the salad will retain its crisp texture for a couple hours but will become pretty sad by the next day.
- It’s super flexible – add more or less of any ingredient you want!
Spring Pea Couscous Salad FAQs
Yes, feel free to use quinoa instead but be aware that the cook time is a little longer.
Yes, the couscous can be cooked and stored in the fridge until ready to use.
All of the chopped and cooking of the couscous can be done ahead of time but I would highly recommend waiting to add the vinaigrette to the salad until you are ready to serve it.
Yes, there is a little protein already with the pistachios but you could also add some chickpeas, crispy tofu, or an easy poached egg for even more protein.
Other Vegetarian Salad Recipes You Might Like
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Ingredients
Lemon Dill Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup extra light olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, sub lemon juice concentrate*
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more, if desired
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- freshly cracked pepper
Spring Salad:
- ½ cup pearl couscous, uncooked, heaping
- 1 head butter lettuce, chopped into 1-2 inch pieces (4.5oz)
- 2 cups asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces (approx. 1 bunch with ends cut off)
- 1 cup sugar snap peas, sliced
- 1 watermelon radish, peeled & cut into half moons
- ½ cup green onions, sliced
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 5.5 ounces honey roasted pistachios, shelled (I used Wonderful Pistachios)
Instructions
- Make Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, add ¼ cup extra light olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon fresh dill, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, and a sprinkling of freshly cracked pepper. Whisk to combine. Taste and add additional lemon juice, zest, dill, etc. if desired. Set aside.
- Make Couscous: Cook heaping ½ cup pearl couscous on the stove top according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Build Salad: On a large platter or serving bowl, add chopped lettuce, 2 cups asparagus, 1 cup sugar snap peas (sliced), watermelon radish slices, ½ cup green onions, 4 ounces feta cheese, 5.5 ounces honey roasted pistachios, and cooked couscous.
- Serve: Right before serving, pour the vinaigrette on the salad and toss to coat. Enjoy right away!
Notes
- *Lemon Juice: For best results use fresh lemon juice! Lemon juice concentrate will be good too, but fresh takes it to the next level.
- Lettuce: Feel free to use any lettuce you desire, but highly recommend butter lettuce for best results.
- Couscous: the heaping 1/2 cup uncooked couscous make approx. 1 cup cooked couscous which is exactly what you need for this recipe.
- Dairy-Free: Use a dairy-free feta cheese alternative.
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten free couscous.
- Protein: Option to add an easy poached egg on top for a little more protein or cast iron skillet salmon, grilled shrimp skewers or some grilled chicken cutlets.
- Storing: I tried eating this the next day after we had added the vinaigrette – the lettuce got quite soggy – so if making ahead definitely don’t dress with vinaigrette – do that right before serving for best results. It will last for a few hours, but no longer.
Nutrition
Originally published April 5, 2017. Recipe revamped and new photos added April 23, 2026.
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