Carrying on with the “healthier versions of your favorite subs” theme, this Italian-style Couscous salad is inspired by the flavors you would enjoy in a good old fashioned Italian sub. I love me an Italian sandwich! The only problem… Italian subs are usually loaded with several ingredients that are not WW friendly. Salami, pepperoni, and cheese, in particular, make the Italian sub super yummy, but are not super not great for you.

The problem:

I love Italian subs, but I don’t love how they make me feel afterward.

The solution:

This lightened up couscous salad includes all the key flavors you would expect in an Italian sub: salami, mozzarella (string) cheese, red onion, oregano, tomato, and vinaigrette. By using couscous and chickpeas as the base for the recipe, one (one cup) serving is just 5 WW SP, as opposed to these sub options you would find at some of your favorite sub shops:

• Subway 6″ Italian B.M.T. on 9-Grain Wheat Sub (without cheese or toppings) – 13 WW SP.
• Quiznos® 4″ Classic Italian Sub w/ Cheese & Dressing – 15 WW SP.
• Jimmy John’s French Bread Italian Night Club Sandwich – 24 WW SP.
• Firehouse Subs Medium Subs Italian on Medium White Sub Roll with Provolone Cheese w/ Mayo and Mustard – 30 WW SP.

Change it up to fit your tastes and what you already have on hand.

Feel free to toss in any extra ingredients you typically like to eat on your Italian subs. (diced banana peppers, diced or sliced ham, or sliced olives, for instance.)

Or, leave out ingredients you aren’t crazy about.

Or, you can swap out ingredients for others that are like them. Examples of great ingredient swaps would be pepperoni in place or salami, orzo or pastina pasta in place of couscous, provolone in place of the string cheese, or red wine vinegar in place of apple cider vinegar.

This is a great any-time food.

I’ll tell you why I love to make foods like this one… I can eat it little by little for several days. I initially made this for myself for lunch and refrigerated the leftovers. The next couple of days I pulled it back out when I needed a quick snack. It was nice to have something that was super quick and easy to grab when I wanted to eat fast and get back to what I was working on.

Do you love the taste of Italian subs too?

The next time you are craving an Italian sub, give this recipe a try and see if it doesn’t satisfy your taste buds and leave you feeling great afterward!

Here is what you need:

3 ounces (about 1/2 cup) couscous, uncooked
1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 ounce salami, chopped
2 light string cheese sticks, chopped or sliced
1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt

Here is what you do:

Cook couscous according to the directions on the package, using approximately 3/4 cup water and omitting the oil and salt.

Mix remaining ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

Toss in the cooked couscous. Serve cold or warm.

Makes 4 cups.
One cup is 5 WW FreeStyle Smart Points.

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Print Recipe

Light Italian-Style Couscous Salad

5 WW FreeStyle SP per serving.

Makes: 4 cups

Calories: 217

Author: Alisha Hughes

Ingredients

• 3 ounces about 1/2 cup couscous, uncooked
• 1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 ounce salami, chopped
• 2 light string cheese sticks, chopped or sliced
• 1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Cook couscous according to the directions on the package, using approximately 3/4 cup water and omitting the oil and salt.
• Mix remaining ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Toss in the cooked couscous.