In an upright blender, combine the basil leaves, shallot, lime zest, lime juice, agave nectar, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Cook the corn and couscous
Set a deep skillet (that has a lid) on the stove. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring it to a boil. Add the corn cobs and pop the lid on top. Simmer until corn kernels are just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the cobs and set them on a baking sheet.
Keep the vegetable stock simmering and pour in the pearl couscous. Give it a stir and let it simmer until the couscous plumps up and absorbs all the broth, about 8 minutes. If the couscous is cooked and there’s excess broth in the pan, just carefully drain it out. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
Add the green onions to the baking sheet with the corn. Drizzle the corn and green onions with olive oil and rub it all over to coat.
Preheat your grill to high.
Add the corn and green onions to the grill and cook until lightly charred on all sides. About 7-8 minutes for the corn and 1-2 minutes for the green onions. Place the charred veg back on the baking sheet.
Assemble the salad
Place the cooked couscous in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, and toss with half of the dressing. It will have clumped up a bit, but stirring with the dressing will help it separate.
Cut the kernels off of the corn and add them to the bowl. Chop up the green onions and add them to the bowl as well. Add half of the feta.
Add the remaining dressing and toss. Finish the salad with fresh basil, remaining feta, and sliced Fresno chili (if using). Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
If you don’t have a grill, you can use the broiling function of your oven for 30 seconds or so. Just keep an eye on the corn and green onions and flip them over to get even char (without completely burning!).
I used the Better Than Bouillon vegetable stock paste here. Just dropped 2 teaspoons into the corn/couscous cooking water before boiling. It was easy and great!
Charred corn and pearl couscous come together with a peppery basil lime dressing, crumbled vegan feta, and a hit of fresh chili. It’s a smoky, herb-forward summer salad in about 40 minutes.