Moroccan Couscous Salad

Name: Moroccan Couscous Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 200 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil, divided; 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; 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); 1/4 cup slivered almonds (tips & tricks)

Author: Francine Lizotte

Jump to Recipe

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 visit Morocco or Tunisia, you’ll find yourself eating couscous many different ways.

What makes it so incredibly tasty is the spices. After adding them to a saucepan along with couscous, they’re sautéed for 2 minutes enough to wake up their fragrance. From there, there are other ingredients added to bring this flavorful dish to a level of yumminess; chickpeas, onions 🧅, peppers, cranberries, etc.

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…😀
– Bunny Chow
– 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

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube