Vegan Couscous Salad with Tofu
By: Kate O’Malley
This easy couscous salad with tofu is loaded with fresh herbs and summer veg for an easy and satisfying salad with summer Mediterranean flair.
Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the couscous and a pinch of salt and stir once. Place the lid on the saucepan and remove it from the heat. Allow the couscous to steam for 5 minutes, then remove the cover, fluff with a fork, and set aside to cool. (See notes)
Chop tomatoes and cucumber in halves or quarters and set aside.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a. skillet. Add the diced tofu to the pan in an even layer and cook until golden brown. Make sure the tofu is golden on all sides. You may need to do this in two batches to ensure the cubes are golden on all sides. Reduce the heat a little if the tofu looks like it could burn. Set aside to cool.
Add the chopped fresh herbs, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk well to make the dressing.
Combine the couscous, tomatoes, tofu, and cucumber in a large salad bowl. Drizzle the dressing over and toss to combine.
Garnish with lemon wedges and fresh herb leaves.
Best Tofu to Use in a Salad: Extra firm tofu is best for salads as it will hold up to dressings better, soaking up the flavors without going soggy.
Cucumber: English cucumbers are ideal for this recipe as they tend to be less bitter with thinner skin
How to Make Fluffy Couscous: When cooking the couscous, remove the pan from the heat after adding the couscous to the boiled water. If you cook couscous under heat, it will stick together and become a mess. It cooks by absorbing the boiling water and steaming in the pot.
Recipe Variations
If you want to add more Mediterranean flavor to your couscous salad, consider adding one or all of the following:
kalamata olives
fresh or roasted red pepper
crumbled feta (or vegan feta)
Ingredients
Directions
Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the couscous and a pinch of salt and stir once. Place the lid on the saucepan and remove it from the heat. Allow the couscous to steam for 5 minutes, then remove the cover, fluff with a fork, and set aside to cool. (See notes)
Chop tomatoes and cucumber in halves or quarters and set aside.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a. skillet. Add the diced tofu to the pan in an even layer and cook until golden brown. Make sure the tofu is golden on all sides. You may need to do this in two batches to ensure the cubes are golden on all sides. Reduce the heat a little if the tofu looks like it could burn. Set aside to cool.
Add the chopped fresh herbs, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk well to make the dressing.
Combine the couscous, tomatoes, tofu, and cucumber in a large salad bowl. Drizzle the dressing over and toss to combine.
Garnish with lemon wedges and fresh herb leaves.
Best Tofu to Use in a Salad: Extra firm tofu is best for salads as it will hold up to dressings better, soaking up the flavors without going soggy.
Cucumber: English cucumbers are ideal for this recipe as they tend to be less bitter with thinner skin
How to Make Fluffy Couscous: When cooking the couscous, remove the pan from the heat after adding the couscous to the boiled water. If you cook couscous under heat, it will stick together and become a mess. It cooks by absorbing the boiling water and steaming in the pot.
Recipe Variations
If you want to add more Mediterranean flavor to your couscous salad, consider adding one or all of the following:
kalamata olives
fresh or roasted red pepper
crumbled feta (or vegan feta)