Cherry Couscous & Arugula Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
A delightful summer salad featuring fresh cherries, arugula, pistachios and goat cheese (optional) tossed in a simple balsamic vinaigrette.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 6, 2024
This summertime salad features ruby red Bing cherries. It’s rounded out with spicy arugula and some of my favorite Middle Eastern ingredients—couscous and pistachios. I added celery for some complementary crunch and goat cheese for a creamy component.
Homemade balsamic vinaigrette brings these unlikely ingredients together. This green salad is light, filling and very refreshing.
I’m stuck on the slow summer wavelength. You, too? Let’s embrace it. Let’s sit in the shade and watch the sun go down. Sip on cold drinks. Hop in the pool. Play board games on the porch. Stretch at yoga class. Maybe even do less work (and not feel bad about it). Let’s fill up on big, fresh salads, too. Salads like this cherry stunner you see here.
I’ve been eating big bowls of this salad for lunch over the past week. It’s a flexible recipe. Use any sweet cherry, or try another stone fruit like sliced plum or peach. Feel free to substitute quinoa for the couscous, if you’d like (check the notes for details). Three cheers for summer salads!
Cherry Couscous & Arugula Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
This delightful summer salad features fresh cherries, arugula, pistachios and goat cheese (optional) tossed in a simple balsamic vinaigrette. Feel free to substitute pearl couscous for the fine couscous shown here, or quinoa to make the salad gluten free (cook according to package directions and proceed to step 2).
Ingredients
Couscous
- ¾ cup whole wheat couscous
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- Several twists of freshly ground black pepper
Balsamic vinaigrette (this makes extra)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup or agave nectar
- Generous amount freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
Salad
- 4 big handfuls arugula
- ½ pound cherries (about 2 big handfuls), pitted, halved and quartered
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (to yield about ⅓ cup crumbled goat cheese)
- ⅓ cup shelled pistachios or almonds (choose slivered or sliced almonds and you can skip the chopping step)
Instructions
- To make the couscous: Bring ¾ cup water to boil in a small saucepan. Once it’s boiling, remove the pan from heat and pour in the couscous, olive oil, sea salt and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff the couscous with a fork and set it aside for later.
- To make the dressing: Whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl until emulsified.
- To toast the nuts: In a skillet over medium-low heat, toast the nuts, tossing frequently, until fragrant, about 3 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and use a chef’s knife to chop the nuts into small pieces.
- To compose the salad: In a large serving bowl, combine the arugula, cooled couscous, sliced cherries, chopped celery, crumbled goat cheese and chopped nuts. When you’re ready to serve, drizzle it with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the greens (you might only need half of the dressing) and toss to combine. Serve immediately. If you store the dressing separately from the rest, it will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
Why buy organic? Conventionally grown celery, cherries and leafy greens are notoriously high in pesticide residues.
Make it vegan: Skip the goat cheese and substitute maple syrup or agave nectar for the honey in the dressing.
Make it gluten free: Substitute cooked quinoa for the couscous.
Change it up: Feel free to substitute sliced peaches, plums or nectarines for the cherries. You can also use spinach in place of the arugula.
Prepare in advance: You can cook the grains and whisk together the dressing. Store them in the refrigerator, covered, until you’re ready to serve.
Recommended equipment: A cherry pitter makes pitting cherries a much more pleasant experience. I love this cherry pitter by Oxo.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
As tempting as it is to say I’m craving cherries, what I really crave is freshly picked peaches once those are in season.
I can’t believe I’m finally commenting on your blog. After each of your amazing posts I say “I need to comment” and then….well, I never do. I have been a long time lover of your blog and have made so many of your recipes.
Hummm, what am I craving this summer…just about everything I can get at my farmer’s market. I’m basically addicted to my local markets (and I don’t just mean one). I live in Boston and have a wonderful farmers market on Saturdays in my neighborhood. My only limitation (thankful I have one or I would buy everything) is what I can carry home as I live on top of a steep hill. Luckily, if I forget something I can easily bike to another market across town on Sundays. Additionally, I have two markets near my work that run on Mondays & Wednesdays and the other on Tuesdays and Thursday. Yes, I have a farmer’s market addiction. I love walking to my market on my lunch break to find my lunch. Yes, I will literally buy a couple Diva cucumbers, a red and yellow tomato and whatever else happens to be there (corn, green beans or shelling peas) and go back to my office and make a salad (salad greens totally optional).
I have been eating as many local berries as I can. My excuse is that the season is so short that I need to load up now. Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries and basically anything berry will do. However, I do crave pickles. Last week I saw some pickling cukes at the market and had to whip a batch of refrigerator pickles the moment I got home. My latest craving (yes, there are so many cravings) is gazpacho. Since I live in New England we really have to wait a long time for tomatoes but I’m starting to see them in the markets. One of my favorite farmers is starting to have loads of tomatoes in all kinds of beautiful shapes, colors and sizes. Yes, gazpacho is in my very near future!
Monica, it’s great to hear from you! Thank you for commenting. Your farmers’ market office salads sound spectacular! I have never made gazpacho, I think it’s time to change that.
This summer, thanks to the bounty of farmers markets, I’m not craving anything. Peaches, cherries, apricots, plums, all the summer fruits are there for the taking, well, purchasing! Supporting farmers markets is one of my favorite things to do and, living in CA, I’m able to go year round. I feel very fortunate. Can’t wait to try your cherry salad – looks amazing!
I can’t wait for the white peaches. Thanks for the cherry ideas. They have been wonderful this year. I have been pigging out on raspberries. I should be happy but why are blackberries so expensive this year? Happy Summer from a Florida teacher.
Happy summer to you, Nancy!
I’m craving the cherry pitter because I’m going to be making a lot of this salad! Cherries are my favorite fruit so I always pit and freeze a bunch of them for later in the year. The combination of cherries, goat cheese & pistachios is like dessert and salad on one plate. Thank you!
This summer I am craving wild maine blueberries and fresh mangos from my backyard.
I am seriously craving fruit this summer! Watermelon, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, all of it!
I’ve been craving (and thus gorging on) all the summer fruits: peaches, nectarines, plums and, of course, cherries! Thank you for the giveaway – the cookbook looks interesting as my husband is eating vegetarian and I’m trying to reduce my meat consumption.
I’m craving peaches, blackberries and blueberries…yum!! Keep the great recipes coming! My family is eating healthier because of you! Thanks!
This looks great!! And I am craving all things salad!!
Your first paragraph is everything I want to do right now. I want a pool and I want a cold drink and I want cherries with EVERYTHING! Love this salad!
Time off! But other than that, ice cream.
I’ve been craving watermelon and sweet peaches!
I’m craving tomatoes and peaches! I could live off of caprese salad all summer.
When it’s hot outside, I just want all the watermelon. So refreshing.
Blueberries! I have a great blueberry, feta, and corn chicken salad. Blueberries fit in many salads, sauces, and dressings just like cherries.
Peaches and sugar snap peas. And local tomatoes are just getting started, I am excited!
This summer, I am craving anything to which I can add fresh, organic berries. Definitely getting into raspberries lately; I love how tart they are!
P.S. Your salads are so amazingly colorful!
I have been craving fresh GREENS (kale, spinach, arugula, etc) in addition to dates and almond butter! Kind of all over the place, but it depends on the day!!
I just returned from Maui (I know, poor me!) and I am craving really ripe pineapple right now! In Washington, there aren’t too many places to find ripe pineapples – you have to buy and wait. I am terribly impatient!
I am craving fig and cherries all day, everyday. And ok I’ll have some cheese with my figs too if you insist.
I’ve been really craving grilled veggies and fruit. Squash, zucchini, asparagus, pineapple (yes pineapple), mushrooms, basically any fruit or veggie I can get my hands on.
to me, summer means corn, and i’ll continue to crave it well into fall! :)
I had my first bite of this summer’s corn last weekend, and it’s all I’ve been craving since!
This summer, I’m craving bright, clean Mediterranean flavors (which your blog supplies so well!): lemon, garlic, olives–and also as much local fruit as I can get my hands on. My toddler loves all summer fruits, especially watermelon, and he also loves beets and spinach and fish, so I’ve been into those this summer, too. For grains I’ve been into farro (which you introduced me to), quinoa, and brown rice pasta.
This summer, I’m craving big, juicy heirloom tomatoes to old-fashioned tomato pies! I also cannot give enough of cherries, blueberries and peaches. Love summer produce!!
All the berries all the time! Finally, strawberries and blueberries at the farmer’s market – hooray!
Popsicles. I just want popsicles, all the live-long day! Preferably spiked. NOM!
I’ve been craving fresh basil, mint, and Utah peaches. I can’t wait for peaches to be in season!
What am I craving? After seeing these beautiful pictures I’m really just craving this salad! =)
I’ve been craving salads like crazy… which is good because they are so healthy and fresh! It’s been so hot here in the South, but also so beautiful!
I’m craving raspberries and peaches.
Kolhrabi
I’m craving fruit…watermelon, berries, cherries, peaches, all of them!
Peaches! I’d give anything to get my hands on a GOOD peach. We moved to Northern Illinois (I grew up in the DEEP south)and I expected to make trip to Southern Illinois to try theirs this year. But alas mother nature has ruined my plans. Next year. I guess.
HUGE craving for garden tomatoes and summer peaches for sure!!!
I’m craving avocados. Absolutely love them in everything :)
I’m craving peaches and blueberries! I could eat them all day, every day!
Summer is always for craving fresh berries and nectarines!
I am craving berries and whipped cream!
I crave all the fruit, in all the things! I’ve been on a cherry and peach kick lately so this recipe is perfectly timed!
Wow, this recipe is a stunner! I crave the Rainier cherries all year, so I am happily munching away on those now that they’re back in Whole Foods. I could definitely get on board with throwing them into a salad with pistachios and couscous.
mango!
Thank you for doing what you do. Frankly I’m craving fish – a nice, clean salmon. Otherwise I’m also in love with hummus and anything I can dip into hummus — carrots, celery, cauliflower, you name it.
I can’t get enough salad with crunchy greens.
craving peaches and apricots!
Freshly picked fruit!
I can’t wait for the bounty of tomatoes.
Summer fruit! Cherries, berries, peaches…
a vacation! and homemade ice cream!
This salad looks amazing. Must try it. As much as I wish I was only craving salads though, fruit pies are what I want. Cherry, raspberry, any and all fruit pies!
I have been craving Heirloom tomato sandwiches. I have been eating them every day!
This summer, I’ve been craving sweet and tart fruits paired with sharp, creamy cheeses (think watermelon&feta, strawberries&goat cheese, etc). This salad is right up my alley!
I’m craving sugar snap peas and peaches as well as beets!!! I love beets – just simply roasted and tossed in a salad. Beet greens are good too!!! Can’t wait to make this salad!
I’m craving big kale salads and fruity ice cream.
I am craving all the summer fruit! Cherries, peaches, watermelons–ALL of it.