Turkish Inspired Salad (41g Protein & Lasts 4 Days!)
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This Turkish inspired salad is the newest addition to my Salads That Last series: smoky paprika beef mince, chewy wholewheat giant couscous and a creamy harissa yoghurt dressing, with over 40g protein and around 435 calories a portion. It keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days, and honestly, the flavours get better the longer it sits.
Recipe Summary: Turkish Inspired Beef & Giant Couscous Salad
- ✅ Recipe Name: Turkish Inspired Beef & Giant Couscous Salad
- 🕦 Ready in: 30 mins
- 🤝 Serves: 5
- 🍴 Calories: 435 kcal
- 🧑🍳 Main ingredients: 5% fat beef mince, Wholewheat giant couscous, Cherry tomatoes, sweetcorn and cucumber, Harissa yoghurt dressing
- ✨ Summary: This Turkish inspired salad with beef mince, giant couscous and a harissa yoghurt dressing packs 41g protein for around 435 calories and lasts 4 days.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Over 40g protein per tub: Lean beef mince and a whole 500g pot of Greek yoghurt make this a properly filling high protein salad. It sits nicely alongside the rest of my high protein recipes.
- It gets better by day: No lettuce means nothing to wilt. The couscous soaks up the dressing overnight, so Wednesday’s lunch tastes even better than Monday’s.
- Around £2 a portion: Five lunches from a pack of mince, a bag of couscous and a few cheap veg.
- Done in 30 minutes: One pan for the beef, one for the couscous and a quick blitz for the dressing.
Table of Contents
Ingredients For Turkish inspired salad
Here’s what makes this beef mince salad work:
- 5% fat beef mince: Lean enough to keep the calories down, and browned hard with smoked paprika for a kofta-style flavour.
- Wholewheat giant couscous: Big, chewy pearls that hold their bite for days, which is what makes this such a good meal prep couscous salad.
- Cherry tomatoes, sweetcorn and cucumber: Fresh crunch and sweetness. Scraping the seeds out of the cucumber stops the salad going watery.
- Harissa yoghurt dressing: 0% fat Greek yoghurt, lemon and harissa blended until smooth. Creamy, tangy and gently spicy.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
- Swap the dressing: Not a fan of spice? Leave out the harissa and stir in grated cucumber and mint for a cooling, tzatziki-style dressing.
- Add feta: Crumble 100g feta over the top for extra saltiness. If you love feta and harissa together, try my whipped feta dip with harissa.
- Change the grain: Orzo, bulgur wheat or regular couscous all work in place of the giant couscous.
How to make Turkish inspired salad
Step 1: Brown the beef mince with smoked paprika, salt and pepper, then leave to cool.
Step 2: Cook the giant couscous for 2 minutes longer than the packet says, then rinse cold.
Step 3: Blend the yoghurt, lemon juice, harissa and garlic into a smooth dressing.
Step 4: Toss the cooled mince, couscous and veg together with the dressing.
Step 5: Divide between 5 containers.
Step 6: Keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Tips for the best result
- Cook the giant couscous for a couple of minutes longer than the packet suggests, as it firms up a lot once it’s rinsed in cold water and chilled in the fridge.
- No harissa? Swap it for 1 tsp chilli flakes and 1 tsp smoked paprika blended into the dressing.
- The macros are based on a high-protein 0% fat Greek yoghurt (around 10g protein per 100g). Lower-protein yoghurts can bring you under 40g per serve, so check the label.
- Let the beef cool completely before mixing. Warm mince will thin out the yoghurt dressing.
Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions
Refrigerator: store in airtight containers for up to 4 days. The flavours get better as it sits.
Freezer: I wouldn’t freeze this one. The yoghurt dressing splits and the cucumber goes watery once defrosted.
Reheat: no need, it’s made to be eaten cold. Give it a stir before eating to bring the dressing back together.
Turkish inspired salad FAQs
Up to 4 days in airtight containers. It’s built to last, just like my chicken pea salad from the same series.
Lean turkey or chicken mince works perfectly with the same spices. For a veggie version, use 2 tins of drained green lentils or chickpeas, though the protein will drop a little.
Best not to. The yoghurt dressing splits and the cucumber turns watery once it’s defrosted.
If you tried this Turkish Inspired Beef & Giant Couscous Salad, it would mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Turkish Inspired Beef & Giant Couscous Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 500 g 5% fat beef mince
- 300 g wholewheat giant couscous
- 600 g cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
- 1 can sweetcorn drained
- 1 cucumber centre scraped out, diced
- 30 g fresh parsley roughly chopped
Dressing
- 500 g 0% fat Greek yoghurt
- 1 lemon juice only
- 2 tbsp harissa
- 1 garlic clove optional
Cupboard essentials
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- salt
- pepper
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the beef mince and leave to brown for 5 minutes, then add the smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Continue to cook for a further 3 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks, then set aside to cool.
- Cook the giant couscous in boiling water for the packet time plus 2 minutes, then drain and rinse in cold water until cool.
- Add the yoghurt, lemon juice, harissa and garlic (if using) to a jug with a pinch of salt and pepper, then blend with a hand blender until smooth.
- Once the beef mince is cool, add it to a large bowl with the giant couscous, cherry tomatoes, sweetcorn, cucumber and parsley. Pour over the dressing and toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Divide between 5 containers and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
• No harissa? Swap it for 1 tsp chilli flakes and 1 tsp smoked paprika blended into the dressing.
• The macros are based on a high-protein 0% fat Greek yoghurt (around 10g protein per 100g). Lower-protein yoghurts can bring you under 40g per serve, so check the label.
Nutrition
