Moroccan Couscous Salad
I love to try different ingredients that I’ve never had before. It all started because… I’m curious! That’s right! I’m a curious little kitten 😺! Even at a young age, I always wanted to taste “new” food. Later on when I was a young lady, that curiosity still remained.
One day, I met a man named Mario, who had the same interest as me. Once a month, we would go out to a different ethnic restaurant and try the cuisine. The method of choosing a restaurant was quite simple. In the yellow section of the phone book was a few pages with all the International Restaurants in the Montréal area. We took turns picking one each month… tada! Unfortunately, this only lasted about a year and we never got to all of them of course.
One restaurant I still recall to this day was Moroccan. The flavors and aromas were out of this world… well out of this continent 🌍 for sure… lol! I couldn’t believe how wonderful everything tasted. There were spices I never knew existed. The dishes were so colorful and inviting! It was probably one of the best nights out that I experienced on our restaurant tour.
I went to that restaurant a couple more times before the owners sold it. One traditional dish from North Africa that I tried to duplicate for years from this popular eatery was Moroccan Couscous Salad. There are so many variations for this popular dish and I’m sure if you visited Morocco or Tunisia, you would find yourself eating couscous many different ways.
My version of this amazing Moroccan Couscous Salad is absolutely delicious and pretty close to what I remember. I’m positive you’ll enjoy the taste and its aroma. It’s such a lovely side dish to serve with any protein. Give it a try, you’ll love it!
Bon Appétit!
Check out these other delicious African recipes…
– Moroccan Potato Salad
– North African Merguez
– Homemade Tahini
– North African Chicken Thighs with Dates & Pomegranate Molasses
– Easy Baba Ghanoush
– Ethiopian Red Pepper Sauce
and for even more delicious salad recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Salads & Dressings
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Moroccan Couscous Salad
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided tips & tricks
- 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 cup dry couscous
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice tips & tricks
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar, such as demerara
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well *optional
- 1/2 cup red onions, finely chopped
- 2/3 cup red peppers, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1-2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped (substitute cilantro) tips & tricks
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds tips & tricks
Directions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. oil. When it gets hot, add turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, cayenne pepper and dry couscous. Stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the spices.
- Add broth and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 5 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from the heat and let stand about 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and fluff with a fork; set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining 3 tbsp. oil, orange juice, brown sugar and pepper; whisk well and set aside.
- Add the remaining veggies to the couscous mixture. Stir until all the ingredients are well mixed.
- Pour the dressing over the couscous mixture and stir until incorporated before adding cilantro and almonds; stir again.
- Cover and transfer to the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.
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Awesome recipe
Thank you ☺ I love making this salad recipe often… it pairs so well with many proteins. Have a wonderful weekend Joseph