Spring Couscous Salad with Basil Pesto (Vegan)
This fresh, vibrant and nourishing Spring Couscous Salad with Basil Pesto packs in so much flavour while being high plant-based protein, fibre and so much goodness. It focuses on seasonal produce and is easily gluten-free and nut-free.
I love a good Spring-time salad and this one is packed with goodness. It has seasonal veggies like asparagus, peas and fresh herbs as well as a lovely basil pesto dressing that’s rich, creamy and tangy. The rest of the salad is made up with your favourite grains like giant couscous (or a GF alternative), lots of lemon zest, some edamame beans for protein and lovely pistachios for crunch. It’s a great recipe to make ahead of time as it keeps well in the fridge for a few days, too.
Why will I love this?
This salad is so good:
- Fresh, vibrant and nourishing
- Perfect for Spring or all year round
- Uses seasonal produce
- Takes 20 minutes to make
- Ideal for meal prep
- Keeps well in the fridge
- Great for lunchboxes
- Naturally plant-based, egg-free and dairy-free
- Easily gluten-free and nut-free
- Easy to make
- You can use other veggies too
- Great source of fibre
- From veggies, beans and wholegrains
- Great source of protein too
- From the beans
- With a fresh homemade basil pesto dressing
- With apple cider vinegar for gut health benefits
- Topped with homemade pink pickles
- Contains so many different plant points
- At least 16!
- Everyone will love it
If you already love the sound of this salad, then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
You can see the ingredients with weights in the recipe card below and see my favourite and recommended products in the “shop the recipe” section.
For the pickles:
- Red onion: slice these thinly.
- Sugar: to slightly sweeten the mix.
- Salt: to season and preserve.
- Apple cider vinegar: this is Bragg’s apple cider vinegar with the mother which adds so much lovely tangy flavour and really lifts the recipe.
To make the salad:
- Couscous and grains: I use a mixed of giant couscous and freekeh, but you can use any mix you like e.g. tricolour quinoa, buckwheat, rice, spelt or buckwheat.
- Petits pois: these are so good right now, but I always use the frozen ones.
- Edamame beans: these add protein and fibre.
- Cucumber: for freshness.
- Asparagus: use this raw and chop up.
- Rocket: or use some spinach or massaged kale but I love the peppery flavour of rocket.
- Pistachios: for crunch inside.
- Fresh herbs: I use parsley and chive but mint, coriander or more basil will work well.
- Lemon: the zest adds so much flavour.
And to make the basil pesto:
- Hemp seeds: to keep it nut-free. These are the hulled hemp seeds, or you can use sunflower seeds or pine nuts, too.
- Fresh basil: the leaves and small stems.
- Garlic: for flavour.
- Apple cider vinegar: this is Bragg’s and is so good.
- Nutritional yeast: for a savoury flavour. If you don’t have this, you can leave it out and add some ½ tsp miso if you have it.
- Extra virgin olive oil: use the best quality you have,
- Smooth tahini: to make it creamy.
- Salt and pepper: to season.
Is this gluten-free and nut-free?
This is easily gluten-free as long as you use GF grains like quinoa, buckwheat, rice or GF couscous. To make this nut-free, swap the pistachios for sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
How do I make this?
This is ready to go in a few steps:
- Massage the red onion with sugar, salt and vinegar: and leave to one side.
- Cook the grains: according to packet instructions.
- Prepare all of the veggies: chopping, slicing and cutting up.
- Add the pesto ingredients to a blender (I use this one): and process until smooth.
- Add the grains, veggies, beans and pesto to a bowl: and toss together.
- Plate up with the pickles on top: and enjoy.
How long will it last?
This will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge in a sealed container.
What other recipes can I try?
For more lunch and spring recipes:
- Veggie Packed Noodle Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Cashew Crunch Edamame Bean Salad
- Red Pesto Roasted Vegetable Bean and Grain Salad
- Spring Green Pesto Pea Broccoli Orzo
- Spring Potato Chickpea Salad with Herby Hummus
Spring Couscous Salad with Basil Pesto (Vegan)
This fresh, vibrant and nourishing Spring Couscous Salad with Basil Pesto packs in so much flavour while being high plant-based protein, fibre and so much goodness. It focuses on seasonal produce and is easily gluten-free and nut-free.
Ingredients
For the Pickled Onions:
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 large pinch salt
- 2-3 tbsp Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar, with the mother
For the Couscous Salad:
- 100g giant couscous and freekeh mix*
- 100g frozen petits pois
- 80g frozen edamame beans
- 120g cucumber (1 small)
- 120g trimmed asparagus
- 1 large handful rocket
- 40g pistachios, chopped
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley and chive
- ½ lemon, zested
For the Basil Pesto:
- 30g hulled hemp seeds
- 15g fresh basil (1/2 large bunch)
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 2 tbsp Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar, with the mother
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp runny smooth tahini, or more olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Start with the pickled onions. Add the sliced onions to a bowl with the sugar, salt and apple cider vinegar. Massage with your hands for 30 seconds and then leave to one side. To keep for later, pour into a sealable jar and cover the onions with more apple cider vinegar so they are fully submerged, and keep in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
- Cook the couscous/freekeh according to packet instructions and leave to one side.
- Add the petits pois and edamame to a bowl, submerge in boiling water and leave to one side for 5-8 minutes, to defrost and then drain.
- Slice the cucumber into thin strips and then cut the asparagus into small pieces, too.
- For the pesto, add all of the ingredients to a small high-speed blender and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To make the salad, add the couscous/freekeh mix to a large bowl with the thawed petits pois and edamame, cucumber, asparagus, rocket, most of the pistachios, fresh herbs and most of the lemon zest. Add in the pesto and toss really well.
- Serve on plates topped with the pickled onions, the extra pistachios and lemon zest.
- Enjoy straight away or keep in the fridge in a sealed container for 2-3 days.
Notes
*I used 60g giant couscous and 40g freekeh grains.
Shop the recipe
Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of this Spring Couscous Salad with Basil Pesto so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make these, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With pesto love x
p.s. this recipe was first made with Bragg but this blog is not sponsored and I truly love their apple cider vinegar.
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