Vegan Pearl Couscous Salad with Tahini Pesto

This vegan pearl couscous salad with tahini pesto is everything you dream of in a bowl: chewy Israeli couscous with hearty veggies, luscious tahini pesto sauce and earthy chickpeas.

The tahini pesto sauce will remind you of a green goddess dressing or a pesto sauce, but with an even creamier result. I wanted to eat it by the spoon! Using tahini makes the sauce super creamy and rich without having to add any refined oil. It also adds a subtle nutty flavor that's so yummy with the fresh herbs.

I also love the warmth of this pearl couscous salad that is amazing at this time of the year when it is chilly outside. The addition of chickpeas plus the tahini in the pesto sauce will help you feel full and satisfied. We went through almost the whole batch in one sitting, so needless to say, it was a hit!

You can serve it as a side salad with burgers or sandwiches, but we had it as a main dish and it was perfect. It is hearty enough to qualify as a full meal!

I hope you like it! Let me know how you made it ❤️

❤️ Why you will love this recipe

• Fresh and zesty yet earthy and filling.
• Healthy and filled with vitamins and plant-based protein.
• Perfect vegan warm salad recipe for fall or winter.
• Great for potlucks
• Highly customizable and suitable for non-experienced plant-based cooks.
• Can be a fun alternative to a rice side dish.
• Vegan, dairy-free, vegetarian and nut-free.

✅ Pearl couscous vs regular couscous

Regular fine couscous are granules made from rolled durum wheat semolina. It has to be steamed to cook as opposed to boiled and it cooks very fast.

➡️ Pearl couscous, which is a slightly larger version of Israeli couscous, is actually a type of pasta. It was developed in 1950s when rice was difficult to find in Israel.

It is made by mixing semolina or wheat flour with water and then shaping it into tiny balls. It looks like a larger version of the typical couscous, although it is a little different. It typically takes a few more minutes to cook compared to regular couscous, although it still cooks very fast.

🗒 Ingredient notes

• Couscous: I used the Tri-color pearl couscous from the brand Red Mill shown below. I think pearl couscous works a little better for this recipe. You can use regular fine couscous, although you will have to read the label to cook it properly.
• Vegetables: you can easily swap the vegetables for this recipe. I roasted carrots, parsnip, zucchini and red pepper, which worked so well together. See below for more ideas!
• Chickpeas: they add more plant-based protein to make this salad more filling, which is especially great if you are enjoying this recipe as a full meal.
• Fresh basil: I used a whole bunch of fresh basil, which was about 1 ½ cups. Try to keep some extra leaves to top the salad at serving.
• Tahini: responsible for that amazing vinaigrette creaminess. I haven't tried using other seed or nut butter yet, but I'm thinking that almond butter might be a good swap if you don't have tahini (although it would make the sauce not nut-free anymore). I love the tahini from the brand Sesame King that I get at Whole Foods Market. Its texture is super thin and pourable, which works well for dressings.
• Garlic: You can add more or less depending on how garlicky you want your sauce to be. I used two cloves, which added a perfect amount of pungent flavor for us.
• Nutritional yeast: try not to omit it, it adds so much amazing cheesy and umami flavor to the parmesan-free pesto sauce. I cannot recommend enough including nutritional yeast more in your vegan meals for a nice boost of flavor. I sprinkle it every day on just about any savory recipe!
• Lemon juice: I used the juice of a whole lemon, which was about 3 tablespoons. You can obviously add more for a zestier dressing.

⭐️ Full list of ingredients down below in the recipe card!

💡 Helpful tips

• If you end up cooking the couscous before everything else is ready, then I recommend rinsing it in cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Dice the veggies all about the same size to ensure proper cooking. Also, aim for a smaller cube size as seen in the picture; I found that it worked better than larger pieces.
• If you have a large blender like mine, then a small amount of sauce like this one is a little trickier to blend. Just take many breaks to bring the sauce back towards the blades and also, you can crush the garlic instead of adding it whole to the blender. No one likes to chew on a large piece of raw garlic!

❗️ Storage tips

This couscous salad stores pretty well, although the dressing might be absorbed by the couscous while resting. This recipe makes for great leftovers, I found that the creamy texture really was at its best when just prepared. You can revive the texture with a drizzle of olive oil the next day.

We also loved the leftover salad cold, so you can warm it up for a few seconds in the microwave if you want, but that is unnecessary.

Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and try to enjoy it within 24 hours if possible or it can dry out over time.

❓ FAQs