Curried Couscous Salad – Packed with nutrients and LOADED with flavor, this delicious curried couscous salad recipe is sure to become a favorite!
A healthy and satisfying curried couscous salad with a wonderful flavor and packed full of healthy ingredients. Quick to assemble, it’s perfect for taking to work for lunch, enjoying as a light dinner or serving as a side dish.
There’s a story behind the creation of this dish. A few years ago my husband and I went on our usual Friday night date night. I was trying to shed a few holiday pounds and I didn’t want to go to a restaurant just to end up paying a premium for a salad. But I was also starving. So here’s what happened:
Before we moved on to the “date” portion of the night we had to pick up a couple of groceries from the store. We headed over to the deli where my husband grabbed a sandwich and I got a small portion of a couple of different salads to try. One of them was a curried couscous salad and one bite and I was sold. I knew I’d have to recreate it at home so I left a few bites of it to take home so that I could do a side-by-side taste comparison as I worked on the perfect copycat recipe. The end outcome was perfect – the flavor and texture spot on!
Below left: My copycat. Below right: The original salad from the deli.
The flavors in this savory-sweet salad and the contrasting textures make this salad an absolute delight.
This salad keeps for a few days and the flavor is even better the next day after the flavors have had time meld.
Curried Couscous Salad Recipe
Let’s get started!
A ton of healthy ingredients go into this salad: Garbanzo beans, carrots, celery, parsley, green onions, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, honey, raisins (or dried currants if you prefer, they’re smaller – or even dried cherries or cranberries), curry powder, and turmeric. And if you want to bump up the health factor you can even substitute quinoa or millet for the couscous.
To prepare the couscous, simply add the water to a medium saucepan along with the salt and olive oil, bring to a boil, add the couscous, immediately turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, fluff with a fork and place it in a very large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk until combined. Set aside.
Add all the veggies, the parsley, raisins and garbanzo beans to the couscous. Look at that beautiful array of colors and nutrients.
Stir to combine, then pour the dressing over it, about 1/3 at a time, stirring between additions to combine the salad.
That’s it! The couscous absorbs the color of the curry and turmeric beautifully.
Cover the couscous with a lid or plastic wrap. Because of the vinegar/acid content, make sure it’s in either a glass or plastic bowl. Refrigerate overnight for best results. The flavors need time to meld.
This couscous salad is perfect as a light lunch or as a side with dinner. Enjoy it along with some grilled chicken or fish.
Enjoy!
For more delicious salads try our:
- Thai Quinoa Salad
- Greek Wheat Berry Salad
- Southern Sorghum and Black Eyed Pea Salad
- Greek Orzo Salad
- Asian Wheat Berry Salad
- Mexican Wheat Berry Salad
Curried Couscous Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked couscous
- 1 cup finely shredded carrot
- 3/4 cup finely chopped celery
- 3 green onions , finely sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup canned drained garbanzo beans
- 1/2 cup raisins or dried currants
- 1-2 tablespoons finely minced preserved lemon (optional but fabulous)
- For the Dressing:
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons honey (Vegans: use agave nectar)
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- homemade curry powder recipe
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon vegetable broth powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- To prepare the couscous, bring 2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth along with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil to a boil in a medium saucepan. As soon as it's boiling, add the couscous, immediately turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and put it in a very large mixing bowl. Set
- Add all veggies, parsley, garbanzo beans, raisins/currants and preserved lemon to the couscous and stir to combine.
- To prepare the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until emulsified.
- Pour the dressing over the couscous salad, 1/3 at a time, stirring to combine between additions. Cover and refrigerate overnight so the flavors have time to meld. Because of the vinegar/acid content, use a glass or plastic bowl.
- Serve as a light lunch or as a side dish along with chicken, fish, etc.
Nutrition
First published on The Daring Gourmet January 9, 2014
Gary says
We’re in love with this recipe, it has just the right touch of spice, heat and sweet. I thought I had Turmeric on hand but used a bit of Bijol for color and Sumac for the earthy flavor and it turned out great. This recipe seems to lend itself for the creative cook to play with…We’re glad you posted it, we’ll use it repeatedly.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy to hear that, Gary, thank you!
Kimia says
Hi this recipe was a dream come true when I found it! Ever since my aunt created a couscous salad recipe she ate from Whole Foods and brought over for dinner for me, I instantly fell in love and have been trying to replicate and find the recipe for it seems like what has been forever. After going over your recipe, mine actually turned out pretty much the same!! The only thing I did not have was the vegetable broth powder but like you said it’s more for the flavor and I used chicken bouillon instead.
Thanks so much!!
-K
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Kimia, I’m so happy to hear that, thank you!
Patricia says
Hi Kimberly, I don’t have the vegetable broth powder. What is the function of that ingredient in the recipe, and what item could be subbed in? This recipe looks divine; excited to try it!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Patricia, it contributes more flavor. Chicken bouillon/broth powder will probably work also if you don’t have vegetable.
Patricia says
Thank you; making it this wkend!
Ellen says
Your recipe looks delicious.My question is about curry. I use Mae Ploy brand curry paste. I think 2 tablespoons of paste would be stronger than powder. How much paste would I use, and would I use red, green or yellow curry paste? Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Ellen, yellow curry paste would be the closest. It’s hard to say how much to use because curry paste includes other ingredients besides curry powder so using less may mean not enough of the curry powder flavor but using 2 tablespoons might mean the other ingredients in the paste are overpowering. It’s probably safest to go with a little less and if needed you can add more the next time around.
Jen says
Kimberly, I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to come across your recipe recently! About 15 years ago, my local Ralph’s grocery store carried a very similar salad at their deli counter and it was love at first bite for me. I so loved and craved this deli salad that, whenever I was running errands nearby on my lunch hour, I would duck into the Ralph’s deli to grab a container of it to enjoy for lunch back at my desk. Then, sadly, my local Ralph’s discontinued carrying it about 10 years ago. Ever since then, I would periodically search online in the vain hope of finding a copycat recipe in order to try to replicate the salad at home. But, no other recipes even came remotely close — that is, until I finally strung together exactly the right combination of search words and just happened to stumble upon your version. You absolutely nailed the flavor profile, colors, and textures. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that I already had nearly all of the ingredients on hand, with the exception of the currants, which I substituted with chopped dried cherries and it was still scrumptious. Thank you so much for making a small dream of mine finally come true!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that, Jen, thank you so much for your feedback! <3
Haven Burton says
I just made this with Cauliflower rice instead of couscous, and I added chopped cashews and IT IS DELISH. Thanks for the recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Great idea, Haven, and I’m glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the feedback!
Andrea says
Can this salad be frozen?
vickie says
do you have the nutritional values per a one cup serving …..absolutely love this salad!
Izzy says
I never follow a recipe exactly – just my nature. I added some garam masala to the dressing in addition to the other spices and some lemon juice. I had no green onions so used sweet Maui – just a little and used a Trader Joe couscous mix that has quinoa, orzo, Israeli couscous, etc. then I added shrimp for some protein. I didn’t see the step to chill over night – so it’s chilling now – I love the dressing and think it’s going to be fabulous!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That sounds great, Izzy, happy eating! :)
Erica says
Love this! I didn’t have honey so I used maple syrup. I added roasted red peppers and pine nuts because my huband loves them :) Didn’t have preserved lemons so I added lemon zest. Sharing with my food and wine club. THANKS!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Erica, thank you, and those sound like great additions!
Anonymous says
what is really silly about the layout of this recipe is that all the ingredients are listed at the BOTTOM of the page …..
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
What’s silly about that? The step-by-step preparation pictures are shown first followed by the recipe. It’s a pretty logical progression and is typical of most recipe blogs. Best of all, this recipe and all others on my blog are provided to you for FREE – you’re welcome.
Allison says
My ex and i have a running joke about all the cooking blogs that put the ingredients at the very bottom…it’s super annoying when you pull the page up to double check the ingredients and you have to scroll all the way to the bottom again.
And honestly sometimes all the back story about how great aunt sally always made this dish etc gets tedious to read through. We just want the instructions.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hey Allison, we food bloggers have a running joke as well about the people who complain about having to take an extra couple of seconds to scroll to get a FREE recipe. If you’d rather bypass the talk about Great Aunt Sally, you can always BUY a cookbook. Otherwise, the next time you find yourself having to do a bit of scrolling on whichever food blog you’re visiting, please realize that we work very hard in order to provide a FREE service to our readers.
Mary says
Great recipe! I have made it twice and each time it just tasted better. I did add half a lemon and more honey as my curry powder was way too spicy. I also added dried apricots, it added a nice sweetness to offset the spice.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Mary, thank you! We love this salad too and I just made a batch of it last week for an outdoor potluck.
Brent says
Wonderful salad. I substituted Cilantro for the parsley and added 1/2 C of Craisins.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Brent, thank you! I just made this again last week as a side dish for an outdoor get-together. We love it, too!
Jenn says
sounds lovely, Im going to try it for dinner tonight. Any idea how many calories this might be.
looking for something to fit my diet.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Jenn. I don’t have that info on hand but sites like caloriecount.com and fitday.com are a great resource – you simply enter the ingredients and their quantities and they automatically generate all the nutritional info for you.
Matt says
I’m a student living in a house where we do rotational cooking. My roommates consistently get excited when I make this dish! It’s a big hit. I even make it for my parents sometimes now.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s terrific, Matt, I’m so glad it’s been a hit – thank you!
Nikki says
I made this tonight, but then realized I didn’t have apple cider vinegar. I substituted it with some lime juice, and I think it worked quite well! :) Thanks for the recipe. Really good.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Nikki, lime juice was a great substitute, so glad you enjoyed this, thank you!
g w says
love this recipe. so easy to adapt. instead of adding the vegetable boullion to the dressing, try cooking the couscous in broth, or the boullion added to the cooking water. i also used the pearl or israeli type couscous. larger and has more bite. dried cranberries instead of currants is also a nice change. whatever you do this recipe is incredible, you can make is mild enough a 3 year old devours it or spicier for the more adventurous…thanks for posting :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, so glad you liked this, gw, and absolutely, this recipe is super easy to adapt!
aims says
This is so good! I’ve made this twice already (two days in a row!)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
So thrilled to hear that, aims, thanks for the feedback!
shan says
Made this for two different pot lucks once with couscous and once with quinoa and it was such a hit!!! Only thing i didn’t have was the vegetable broth powder. still tasted amazing!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That is so awesome, shan, I’m so happy to hear it was a hit! Thanks so much for the feedback!
jennifer says
Liked it, but I used a vegetable bouillon (the entire cube) and it made it taste a little grainy….a little too overpowering. Next time, I’ll just get vegetable broth powder.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jennifer, yes the cube wouldn’t have dissolved properly in the cool or room temp water. Also, most broth cubes call for a higher quantity water than a teaspoon of powder. Even so, yes, the dissolvability (is that a word?) is the biggest issue. Better luck next time!
Christina says
I don’t have enough couscous, can I substitue quinoa?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You betcha, Christina! I prefer the texture of couscous, but it’s strictly personal preference. Be sure to cook the quinoa slightly al-dente so the salad isn’t mushy!
Faith Anne says
Looking forward to trying to this recipe for dinner but coming up with a blank as what to serve with it. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Faith Anne! This salad is really versatile and you can serve it as you would any pasta-type salad – goes great with chicken and fish!
Adina says
Hallo Kimberly,
The salad was great, I made it as part of my birthday dinner and everybody loved it. I might have made too much of it, my husband and I kept eating it for the next three days. It got better every day.
Adina
The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks for your feedback, Adina, I’m glad everyone enjoyed it! It does make a large batch. I’ve thought about sizing it down a bit but haven’t for the very reason you mentioned – it makes great leftovers and the flavor only gets better as the ingredients have time to meld!
bakeaffairs says
I love Couscous and this one looks so delicious and beautiful!
The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Bridget! I’ve actually only ever had couscous just a handful of times, mostly with Moroccan food. But it’s so versatile and complements practically any kind food, and I’m looking forward to experimenting with it more.
Rachel @LittleChefBigAppetite says
This looks so yummy and delightful!
The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Rachel, and thank you for stopping by!
Sallyburke2 says
Whoops, meant almonds, the gremlin is at it again
Sallyburke2 says
Will give your recipe a go, similar to what I make except the seasoning I use is North African Chemoula. Haven’t added grated carrot before or Chick Peas, usually pal minds have been my choice.
The Daring Gourmet says
That sounds fabulous, Sally! I love the flavor of the lemon and coriander in chemoula and the almonds sound really good, too. Thanks so much for sharing! I think I’ll try something like that next. Some dried apricots would be a wonderful addition, too.
Susan says
Wow, the comparison is A-MAZING! I haven’t enjoyed couscous in the past, but this looks really good and I’m bound to try this soon. Thanks!
The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Susan! As long as you like cold salads, curry and pasta (which really is what couscous is – tiny bits of pasta), then you should definitely like this!
Taylor @ greens & chocolate says
I love it when copy cat recipes are successful!! I love making grain salads to take to work for lunches all week (just got done eating a quinoa salad!) and this one looks delicious…I love all of the flavors and especially the sweetness from the raisins. Yum!
The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Taylor! I love the challenge of making copycats. That’s one of the things I liked about it, too – the spiciness of the curry combined with the sweetness of the raisins and honey. Thanks for visiting!