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Curried Couscous Salad

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Positively LOADED with flavor, this delicious Curried Couscous Salad recipe is sure to become a favorite!ย  Chewy couscous, crispy carrots, buttery garbanzo beans, sweet raisins, and a curry vinaigrette make this salad an absolute feast for the taste buds!

Be sure to also try our tasty Thai Quinoa Salad and Greek Orzo Salad!

curried couscous salad recipe raisins honey sweet curry turmeric carrots garbanzo beans chickpeas deli copycat

There’s a story behind the creation of this dish.ย  Years ago my husband and I went on our usual Friday night date night.ย  I was trying to shed a few holiday pounds and didn’t want to go out to a restaurant for dinner.ย  I just wanted something relatively light and quick to eat.ย  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. ย 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.ย  One of them was a curried couscous salad and after one bite I was sold.ย  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 a copycat recipe.ย  The end results was perfect: the flavor and texture were spot on!

Below left is my copycat.ย  Below right is the original salad from the deli.

curried couscous salad recipe raisins honey sweet curry turmeric carrots garbanzo beans chickpeas deli copycat

The contrasting flavors and textures in this curried couscous salad are sure to win you over.ย  Crispy carrots and plump chewy raisins mingle with buttery garbanzo beans, tender couscous, and a lemony honey-curry vinaigrette that’s simply heavenly.

You can serve this as light main dish or as a side dish paired with grilled chicken, pork, fish, etc.ย  This salad is quick to assemble it’s perfect for taking to work for lunch.ย  It’s also a terrific salad to take on your next picnic, potluck, or backyard BBQ.

This curried couscous salad is a sensory adventure and a real treat for the palate!

curried couscous salad recipe raisins honey sweet curry turmeric carrots garbanzo beans chickpeas deli copycat

Can I Substitute a Grain for the Couscous?

You sure can!ย  Quinoa or millet, for example, both make great options.

Can This Couscous Salad Be Made In Advance?

Absolutely!ย  In fact, it’s much better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld.ย  So if you can resist, make it in advance for optimal flavor.ย  This couscous salad will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge.

curried couscous salad recipe raisins honey sweet curry turmeric carrots garbanzo beans chickpeas deli copycat

Curried Couscous Salad Recipe

Let’s get started!

A ton of healthy ingredients go into this salad: ย Garbanzo beans, carrots, celery, parsley, green onions, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, honey, raisins (orย zante currants if you prefer, they’re smaller – or you can use dried cherries or cranberries), curry powder, and turmeric.ย  And if you want to bump up the health factor you can even substitute quinoa or millet for the couscous.

ingredients laid out on a cutting board

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. ย Set aside.

cooking the couscous

Combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk until combined. ย Set aside.

Add all the veggies, the parsley, raisins and garbanzo beans to the couscous. Look at that beautiful array of colors and nutrients.

preparing the vinaigrette and putting ingredients in a large bowl

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! ย The couscous absorbs the color of the curry and turmeric beautifully.

curried couscous salad recipe raisins honey sweet curry turmeric carrots garbanzo beans chickpeas deli copycat

Cover the couscous with a lid or plastic wrap. ย Because of the vinegar/acid content, make sure it’s in either a glass or plastic bowl. ย Refrigerate overnight for best results. ย The flavors need time to meld.

curried couscous salad recipe raisins honey sweet curry turmeric carrots garbanzo beans chickpeas deli copycat

This couscous salad is perfect as a light lunch or as a side with dinner. ย Enjoy it along with some grilled chicken or fish.

Enjoy!

curried couscous salad recipe raisins honey sweet curry turmeric carrots garbanzo beans chickpeas deli copycat

For more delicious salads try our:

curried couscous salad recipe raisins honey sweet curry turmeric carrots garbanzo beans chickpeas deli copycat

Curried Couscous Salad

Positively packed with flavor, this curried couscous salad is a real feast for the taste buds!
5 from 13 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Dish, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Indian
Servings 8
Calories 354 kcal

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. Let cool completely.
  • 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 main course or as a side dish along with chicken, pork, fish, etc.
    Will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 354kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 8gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 346mgPotassium: 368mgFiber: 6gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 3091IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Curried Couscous Salad
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

First published on The Daring Gourmet January 9, 2014

kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Hi, Iโ€™m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!

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Recipe Rating




5 from 13 votes (4 ratings without comment)

68 Comments

  1. I love this recipe, Iโ€™ve made it so many times. I havenโ€™t tried it yet with the preserved lemons, but I hope to make them one of these days to try in here.
    Thanks for the awesome recipe!

  2. Absolutely the best salad ever. I can eat this for days on end. I use pearl couscous. Everyone I make it for loves it. If I am serving it with meat I think it pairs beautifully with chicken. Unfortunately I have just found I can no longer tolerate anything with gluten so I am going to have to try gluten free options. I would love to hear from other people what their favorite grains are to use instead of couscous.

    1. Oh I’m so glad you enjoy this salad as much as I do, thank you Kathy! <3 And I feel your pain because I've become more sensitive to gluten in the last several years also. Two gluten free options you can consider are quinoa and millet (the key is to not overcook it). I welcome anyone else's feedback who has substituted the quinoa for a GF option.

  3. Made this yesterday, so tasty! I only had a tin of mixed beans, so next time I will look for Garbanzo. It made five big lunch sized portions for me, which I will eat happily for next four days!! Sharing on this recipe to a friend as she says it looks just like the one she bought at the deli counter, so want to try it.