Roasted beets have a lightly sweet flavor, similar to other roasted root vegetables like carrots and parsnips. They do take a bit longer to soften compared to boiling, which is why I like to cut them into bite-sized pieces to speed up the process. This way, you can have a delicious, filling salad of roasted beets and couscous ready in just over 30 minutes.
To balance the flavors and keep it fresh, I like to add some chopped parsley and green onions. The feta cheese, with its tangy and salty flavor, pairs beautifully with the sweet beets. It’s a simple salad that’s full of flavor, perfect for impressing friends and family, and packed with nutrients and antioxidants to keep you going on busy days.
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Why you should try my recipe
- Easy to put together and doesn’t require much preparation.
- Lightly sweet from the beets, tangy from the feta cheese.
- Filling and delicious on its own for a light lunch.
- Perfect for gatherings, barbecues and picnics.
Ingredients & How-to
To make this beets couscous salad we are going to need beets, pearl couscous, green onions, fresh parsley, feta cheese, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt.
- Beets: I’m using 3-4 medium beets without the leaves.
- Pearl couscous: Pearl or israeli couscous is slightly bigger than regular couscous and resembles little pearls when cooked.
- Fresh parsley: Adds freshness to the salad. You could substitute it with fresh dill or cilantro.
- Feta cheese: Feta cheese goes with great with the sweetness of the roasted beets and brings balance to the flavors. You couls also use soft goat cheese.
For full quantities check the recipe down below.
01. I start with roasting beets. I remove and hard beets and peel them. Then I cut them into cubes about half an inch and place them on a lined baking tray. I coat with olive oil and bake them for about half an hour until they are fork tender.
02. While the beets are in the oven, I place a pot with water over medium low heat and cook the couscous. I turn off the heat and remove the pot while there is still a little bit of water in the pot, after about 4-5 minutes. Then I let it sit until I’m ready to assemble the salad.
03. In a salad bowl, I add the cooked couscous and roasted beets with any of the oil left on the trayl.
04. I like to gently mix the couscous and beets before adding the rest of the ingredients. The pearl couscous will take on a light red color from the beets as you mix them.
05. Next, I add the feta cubes, green onions, and chopped parsley. You can also use crumbled feta, but I prefer cubes since they hold their shape and stay white even after being mixed with the beets.
06. For the dressing, I just add a couple more tablespoons of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. You could also add some red wine vinegar for extra flavor. I find that beets and vinegar go really well together.
Serving suggestions
I find that salads with couscous are very filling and great on their for a light lunch at home or work. This roasted beets and couscous salad is also great for barbecues next to grilled meat or fish and it will impress your friends and family at gatherings and potlucks.
For a quick lunch you can make my baked spiced chicken breast while you are roasting the beets or if you prefer fish, pair it with some oven-baked seabreams.
Storage
If you have any leftovers of the couscous with beets and feta salad, store it in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days. I find that it actually tastes even better on the next day as the flavors have more time to blend together!
FAQ
I find that vinegar goes better with beets but you could also use lemon juice if you prefer.
Pair it With Recipes
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Recipe
Couscous Salad With Beets And Feta Cheese
This couscous salad with roasted beets and feta cheese is full of flavor, nutrients, and goodness. It’s perfect for barbecues and gatherings with friends, and easy to pack for lunchboxes. Enjoy!
5.0 from 1 votes
5 servings
5 minutes
Ingredients
- 3-4 beets
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3-4 green onions
- bunch of fresh parsley chopped
- 1 cup (120gr) feta cheese (cubes)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- salt
Instructions
- Peel the beets and cut them into cubes about half an inch (2cm). Place on a baking tray and coat with 2 tablespoons of oil. Roast in a preheated oven to 375F / 190C for 30 minutes or until fork tender.
- Add 1.5 cups of water and a teaspoon of salt to a pot and bring to a boil. Add the couscous and cook over medium-low heat for 4–5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes, until any remaining water is absorbed.
- Add the cooked couscous to a salad bowl. Clean and cut the green onions into slices. Add them to the salad bowl.
- Add the chopped fresh parsley and cooked beets.
- Add the remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt. Mix well and serve.
Notes
- You could use fresh dill instead of parsley.
Storage
If you have any leftovers of the couscous salad with beets and feta, you could store it in the fridge and consume it within 2-3 days.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
Julia - Mamazilla
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