Couscous is such a versatile pantry staple for us. We love using it as an alternative to other starchy sides like pasta and potatoes. This Moroccan style couscous salad features fresh veggies like carrots, kale, and herbs, along with some nuts, dried fruits, and lemony dressing for a delicious side dish. It is perfect to pair alongside your favorite protein.
Moroccan Cuisine
During my college years, I was fortunate enough to spend 3 weeks in Morocco for a travel term with the sweetest host family. They prepared traditional Moroccan food for me every night and it really opened my eyes to this unique cuisine. Before visiting, I thought Moroccan food would be similar to other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes, but the flavor profiles are truly unique to Morocco. Tagines featuring ingredients like preserved lemons, olives, dried fruits, and turmeric. Authentic Moroccan couscous served on Fridays featuring loads of fresh vegetables, lamb, and chickpeas. Delicious spongy pancakes (Beghrir) served with apricot jam and sweet Moroccan mint tea for breakfast. I could not get enough. I’ve tried to bring back those flavors to my own kitchen, and it can be admittedly hard as some of these ingredients are hard to find, but I always enjoy even little remnants of those Moroccan dishes.
Chicken Tagine with my host family in Morocco
This couscous salad is in no way authentic, but the flavors and textures bring me back to that trip. If you have not had the pleasure of experimenting with Moroccan recipes, I highly recommend checking some out.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Couscous has a great texture for salads. It’s incredibly quick to make, literally cooking in just a couple minutes. We let ours cool before tossing together to prevent the herbs from losing their bright colors. For this particular recipe, we used some grated carrots, finely chopped kale, and mint. It should go without saying that you can use other greens you have on hand like spinach or arugula. The same goes for the herbs – cilantro or parsley would be good alternatives if you don’t have mint on hand.
In keeping with Moroccan textures, we added in some dried figs for a little sweetness. You can use raisins, dried cranberries, or dried apricots as alternatives. Then, we added in some chopped walnuts for some crunch. Again, you could use almonds or other nuts instead. We just used what we had on hand in the pantry. Lastly, we added a little bit of goat cheese for a touch of creaminess. If you have feta, this would be ideal.
Pairing Suggestions
We paired our couscous salad alongside some simple grilled lamb chops for a perfect meal. You can really pair it with any protein of your choice. For a filling vegetarian option, add some chickpeas! Here are a few pairing suggestions.
- Simple Seared Salmon
- Seared Scallops
- Balsamic Chicken Kabobs
- Grilled Shrimp
- Pecan Crusted Halibut
Moroccan Carrot and Kale Couscous Salad
Ingredients
Couscous Salad
- 1 Cup Carrots Grated
- 2 Cups Kale Finely Chopped
- 1/4 Fresh Mint Finely Chopped; can sub parsley or cilantro
- ½ Cup Walnuts Chopped
- ½ Cup Dried Figs Or other dried fruit, chopped
- ½ Cup Goat Cheese Such as Feta
- 1 Cup Dried Couscous Cooked according to package instructions and cooled
Dressing
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 1 Lemon Juiced
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients for the dressing and whisk together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the cooled couscous with the remainder of the salad ingredients and toss to mix well.
- Pour the dressing over and toss once more to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.