Mediterranean Couscous, Swiss Chard, and Peppers
on Jun 08, 2016, Updated Mar 15, 2024
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The beautiful colors of chard and peppers make an arresting couscous side dish.
This couscous recipe is a fantastic and beautiful side dish, colorful and filled with texture. If you offer to bring something to a party, and your host says, “A side dish would be great,” then this recipe is perfect.
I love rainbow chard, sometimes called Bright Lights, which really lives up to its name with its variety of brightly colored stems. Using more than one color of bell pepper keeps the whole rainbow thing going. You could add some halved grape or cherry tomatoes — again, red, yellow, and orange — crazy, right?
Table of Contents
This Mediterranean Couscous, Swiss Chard and Peppers is a fantastic and beautiful side dish. I love the rainbow chard, but you can use other varieties.
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Recipe Tips & Variations
Some olives would be fabulous in this as well. And slivered basil, or other fresh herbs. Or check out another take on a couscous salad: Artichoke, Feta and Roasted Pepper Couscous Salad.
I make Israeli couscous salads all summer long. An Israeli or Mediterranean couscous salad is a perfect thought when you are trying to turn almost any assortment of vegetables from the market into a side dish or even a meal. To make Israeli couscous, either follow package directions, or see the directions in the Note below.
Serving and Storage
You could serve this salad at room temperature, slightly chilled, or warm. If you want to serve it warm, make the couscous right before serving, and then add the vegetables and dressing. You could also heat it in the microwave.
This salad can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Give it an extra drizzle of olive oil, and toss again before serving (taste and see if it needs a bit of extra salt and pepper as well).
More Delicious Couscous Salads
- Tomato Bruschetta Couscous
- Lebanese Couscous with Sautéed Kale and Lemon Dressing
- Artichoke, Feta, and Roasted Pepper Couscous Salad
- Couscous Salad with Shrimp, Roasted Tomatoes and Pesto Dressing
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Mediterranean Couscous, Swiss Chard, and Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- 1 large bunch Swiss chard
- 1 red onion (halved and sliced)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 cups cooked Israeli couscous (see Note)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Seed, core, and cut the peppers into 1-inch pieces. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the peppers in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper, spread them out, and roast the peppers for 10 minutes until tender and lightly browned.
- Meanwhile, chop the chard by slicing off the stems and roughly chopping the greens. Rinse well in a colander, then shake the colander to get rid of excess moisture.
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then add the onions and saute for 4 minutes. Then add the garlic, and stir for another minute. Add the chard, season with salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes, until the chard is tender.
- Place the couscous in a mixing bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and lemon juice and toss to combine. Add the cooked peppers and chard, toss to combine everything well, and check for seasonings.
All the swiss chard we planted grew and grew…so I am always looking for more recipes. I added a zucchini (also from garden) that I roasted with the peppers, and stirred a rounded teaspoon of Trader Joe’s zhug into the dressing.