An autumn couscous salad is the perfect side dish for any holiday or family get together. This salad is sweet and tangy, and has all the flavours of fall in every spoonful. It has dried apricots and cranberries, pecans, and roasted butternut squash all spiked with dijon mustard for a little warmth. Couscous is one of those hidden gems that people often forget about, it’s also hardy and easy to cook.
I truly love holiday dishes that are packed with flavour, especially salads! This salad stores well and most of all it can be made the night before any gathering. Did you say Thanksgiving or Christmas?
It is easy to get stuck when trying to dream up new salad recipes. I think it’s because we think of veggies the same way, green salad, with dressing… but salads can be so much more than that… especially when you add couscous, it can take the simple and delicate to hardy and delicious in a matter of a single toss!
What is couscous?
It can be easily mistaken as a grain but it’s actually a pasta made of semolina flour and water. The durum wheat is ground to create semolina flour, it is then usually cooked by steam.
There are several types of couscous such as:
Moroccan couscous – the smallest type of couscous, cooks very quickly (less than 5 mins) and is perfect for summer salads.
Pearl couscous (or sometimes known as Israeli couscous) – this medium size pasta should be toasted before cooking. In a matter of 7-8 mins, you can have a delicious meal.
Lebanese couscous – is the largest out of them all, it is pea-sized and hearty, great for dishes where you want a nuttier flavour.
What is couscous salad made of?
A couscous salad can be made out of anything! Mix and match all the veggies you can think of. Usually, with this type of salad, the dressing really helps the dish come alive and marries all of the flavours. I always recommend having contrasting flavours to create a dynamic dish. For example, if you have sweet you are going to want to have tang.
In this particular recipe, I have sweet dried fruit paired with dijon mustard and a splash of apple cider vinegar.
What spices go with couscous?
Picture couscous as a blank slate! Almost all spices can go with it, I recommend lemon zest, cumin, coriander, mint, cilantro, cardamom, orange, cinnamon, and even parsley.
Can you reheat couscous?
Yes, you can reheat couscous, however I recommend once you make the couscous to then fluff it up with a little oil so the pasta doesn’t stick together. After that, you can store it and reheat it at any time, or simply enjoy it cold.
Check out more recipes:
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How to make it:
This autumn couscous salad can be made in five simple steps, and takes about 35-40 min to make, it all depends on your squash… but let’s be honest you’re only really doing 15 mins worth of work.
Roasting – chop butternut squash and remove the skin, toss with oil, salt, and pepper, and place in an oven for 30-40 mins or until fork tender. learn more about roasting veggies.
Chopping – Chop all dried fruit and veggies, and crush pecans.
Dressing – add oil, mustard, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, red onion, salt and pepper, then whiz up with a hand blender.
Boiling – Toast the couscous, then boil with water for 7-8 mins.
Tossing – add all the ingredients together and toss!
Autumn Couscous Salad
Equipment
- 1 Hand blender
- 1 Lined cookie sheet or baking dish
- 1 Strainer
Ingredients
Roasting:
- 1 small butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Salad:
- 1 cup chopped kale
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 6 sliced dried apricots
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup crushed pecans
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped red onion
- 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 juice from one lemon wedge
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Roasting:
- Preheat oven to 420 fahrenheit.
- Chop squash into equal cubes and remove skin. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place in oven and cook for 30-35 mins or until fork tender and slightly golden.
Salad:
- Add kale, dried fruit, red onion and nuts to a bowl and set aside.
Couscous:
- In a large pan add olive oil over medium heat. Once the pan is heated add the couscous and toast. Be sure to continuously stir to avoid burning. Once slightly golden in colour, pour in water and add salt. Bring to a boil over high heat for 7-8 mins or until al dente (if your couscous comes with instructions please follow them).
- Remove from heat and strain. Rinse with cold water. Add to chopped veggies and set aside.
Dressing:
- With a hand blender add oil, dijon mustard, red onion, maple syrup, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whiz up until smooth, taste and adjust seasoning to liking.
- Pour over couscous and veggies. Once squash is ready, let cool for about 5 min then add to the salad and toss.
- Enjoy!
Chanelle Alexis says
Perfect autumn side