This Halloumi Pearl Couscous salad is so zingy and fresh and is perfect to accompany BBQ meats and seafood. The nutty pearl couscous pairs beautifully with the creamy hummus and crispy halloumi, making every mouthful a delight! This couscous is so easy to make and one of my favourite salad recipes!
Ingredients needed for this Halloumi Pearl Couscous Salad with Hummus Dressing
A super easy salad that comes together in just 30 minutes. The ingredients you will need:
- Pearl Couscous: Normal or Wholemeal (also called Israeli couscous). I love the texture and nutty flavour of this type of couscous and find it holds the dressing better than normal couscous. I cook it in some stock or water as per packet directions and stir some olive oil through it at the end of cooking to stop it from sticking together.
- Halloumi: A 200 gr piece (I love Dodoni), chopped in small pieces
- Peas: Frozen peas that you cook along with the couscous in the last 2 minutes of cooking.
- Capers
- Parsley: Finely chopped
- Artichokes: Not essential – but I like to add these to the salad. I used half of a 400 gr can of whole artichoke hearts, cut into quarters or a small jar of deli marinated artichokes.
For the Dressing:
- Hummus: The best quality one you can find from your local supermarket or if you homemade it even better!
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plenty of it!
- Lemon Juice
- Salt & Pepper
- A splash of water to thin out the dressing so it better coats the couscous salad
How to make this Halloumi Pearl Couscous Salad
Cook the Couscous
First off you start with cooking the couscous. It will need to cool so you can leave all the chopping of the rest of the ingredients for later! Follow packet directions as each brand might vary.
The process is similar for most pearl couscous where you start by heating a few tablespoons of olive oil in a medium pot (with lid).
Once the oil is warm add the cous cous and toast gently in the oil for a few minutes. The couscous will change to a slightly darker toasted colour. This adds to the nutty flavour and allows for the couscous to hold it’s shape better!
You then add double the amount of hot water (straight from your kettle), add salt (or stock powder if you prefer), stir, lower the heat and pop the lid back on for 8 minutes. Makes sure you keep an eye on the timer as the cous cous can overcook easily and become a gluggy mess!
Fry the Halloumi cheese
The crispy Halloumi is the star of this pearl couscous salad! Chop the halloumi into small pieces and fry it in a non stick pan with a tablespoon of oil till golden and crispy. Set aside.
Cook the peas
After 8 minutes that the cous cous is cooking add the frozen peas and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat, remove the lid, add a few tablespoons of olive oil and stir. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
In the meanwhile, prepare the dressing and chop the parsley and the artichokes (if using).
Make the dressing
Make the dressing by combining the hummus with the lemon juice, a splash of water (a few tablespoons), olive oil, salt and pepper and combine well till you get a thin dressing.
Combine & Serve
To the cooled couscous and peas add the parsley, artichokes, capers, halloumi and half the hummus dressing and combine. Serve warm at the table with the dressing to the side and add more to your liking!
Enjoy!
Serving suggestions
This Halloumi Pearl Couscous salad is delicious served warm, but can also be eaten cold. I like to reserve some of the dressing to add to later for extra creaminess especially if the salad has been stored in the fridge.
Perfect to bring to dinner parties, BBQ and goes well alongside grilled meats or seafood. Great on its own too for a simple lunch or dinner.
Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Loved this recipe? Want more?
If you loved this recipe you will love this Black Rice Salad and this Healthy Soba Noodle Salad.
Halloumi Pearl Couscous with Hummus dressing
Ingredients
- 2 cups Pearl couscous (uncooked)
- 1 cup Frozen Peas
- 1 block Halloumi cheese (200 gr approx, cubed in 1 cm pieces)
- 2 tbsp Capers
- 1 small bunch Parsley (finely chopped)
- 1/2 cups Canned or Marinated Artichoke hearts, quartered (optional)
- 4 tbsp Hummus (store brought or homemade)
- 10 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (approx)
- half Lemon (Juice of)
- 1 tsp Salt
- Ground Pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- First off you start with cooking the cous cous. It will need to cool so you can leave all the chopping of the rest of the ingredients for later! Follow packet directions as each brand might vary.The process is similar for most pearl cous cous where you start by heating a few tablespoons of olive oil in a medium pot (with lid).Once the oil is warm add the cous cous and toast gently in the oil for a few minutes over medium heat.Add double the amount of hot water (straight from your kettle), salt or stock powder if you prefer, stir, lower the heat and pop the lid back on for 8 minutes. While the cous cous is cooking, prepare the haloumi.
- Chop the halloumi into small 1 cm cubes and fry it in a non-stick pan with a tablespoon of oil till golden and crispy. Set aside.
- After 8 minutes that the cous cous is cooking add the peas and cook for a further 2 minutes.Turn off the heat, remove the lid, add a few tablespoons of olive oil and stir. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.In the meanwhile, prepare the dressing and chop the parsley and the artichokes (if using).
- Make the dressing by combining the hummus with the lemon juice, a splash of water, 6 tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and combine well till you get a thin dressing. Set aside.
- Once the couscous has cooled down, add the parsley, artichokes, capers, halloumi and half the hummus dressing and combine. Serve immediately warm at the table with the rest of the dressing to the side and add more to your liking.
