Curried couscous salad is loaded with colorful crisp veggies, crunchy nuts, briny olives and feta, and dried fruit for a hint of sweetness. With its lemony mint dressing this is a memorable side dish that goes with everything!
Potato salads, pasta salads, and beans salads get lots of attention when summer cookout season starts to amp up. But me, I love a great couscous salad. My curried couscous salad is a versatile side dish that will brighten up (literally and figuratively) just about any spring or summer meal ~ it literally glows like a jewel on your table!
Couscous, technically a type of pasta, is an ideal base for a salad because it has the unique ability to soak up flavors, and stay light and fluffy for days. This means the same salad that goes with your burgers on the weekend can set you up for healthy lunches during the week. I think you’re going to love it.
related: Lemon Couscous Salad
curried couscous salad ingredients
- couscous
- couscous is a type of pasta in the form of tiny balls of semolina flour. It’s a staple food in North African countries like Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Packaged couscous is precooked, and only needs to be rehydrated, making it super convenient. Stock your pantry with plain couscous and you’ll have so many wonderful salad and side dish options at your fingertips.
- curry powder
- the complex spices in curry powder give instant personality to the couscous, much like it does in a classic Curried Chicken Salad or Curried Chickpea Salad.
- turmeric powder
- this gives the golden glow to the couscous.
- chickpeas
- olives
- green onions
- bell peppers
- cucumbers
- slivered almonds
- sliced almonds or pine nuts would also work well.
- feta cheese
- dried fruits
- I used golden raisins, currants, and apricots.
lemony mint dressing
A simple dressing, but don’t underestimate the power of fresh mint! This zesty dressing marries well with the warm spice in my curried couscous salad.
- olive oil
- lemon juice
- fresh mint
- Dijon mustard
- salt
how to hydrate couscous
If your couscous comes in a package, follow the package instructions for the ratio of water to couscous. I use equal amounts of couscous and water.
- Place your couscous in a heatproof bowl.
- Bring an equal amount of water to a boil and pour over the couscous. To make curried couscous all I do is add curry powder and turmeric to the water, the couscous soaks it all right up.
- Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork.
- Your couscous can be cooled for curried couscous salad, or served warm as a side dish.
Even though this salad is technically a pasta salad, it has more in common with my grain salads like Tabbouleh Salad or Wheat Berry Salad. These salads are hearty, with a satisfying chewy texture and are workhorses when it comes to meal prep.
Enjoy Curried couscous salad as a side with dinner the first day, then for lunch the next day (and the next!) Add rotisserie chicken, shrimp, or hard cooked eggs for extra protein.
Curried Couscous Salad
Ingredients
curried couscous
- 1 cup dry couscous
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- pinch coarse salt
salad
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1/3 cup olives, pitted and sliced or halved
- 6 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2 small Persian or pickling cucumbers, sliced into half moons
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted*
- 1/2 cup dried fruits, I used raisins, currants, and apricots
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled or diced
dressing (you may not need all of the dressing)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 8 mint leaves
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- pinch salt
Instructions
- To hydrate the couscous follow your package instructions as couscous can vary. I place the couscous in a heatproof bowl. Then I bring 1 cup water with the curry powder, turmeric, and salt to a boil, and pour over the couscous. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Then take a fork and fluff the couscous, scraping the fork over each layer until fluffy and lump free. Set aside to cool.
- Place the dressing ingredients into a small food processor and blend until smooth. Taste to adjust.
- Add the cooled couscous to a large mixing bowl and add the rest of the salad ingredients. Toss with about half of the dressing to start. Add more as needed. Note: I like to add the feta cheese at the end so it stays more intact.
- Serve right away or chill until needed. Will keep several days in the refrigerator.
This recipe was so delicious. I used quinoa instead of couscous for I made with quinoa instead of couscous for someone who cannot eat wheat. Absolutely will repeat this summer.
I’ve been making a version of this for years! It’s nice to put a little honey into the dressing sometimes, to change it up. And for those who don’t like olives, you can substitute thawed, frozen green peas. They are delicious with the mint and feta and provide a nice fresh pop.
This was everything a gourmet salad should be, and then some! Easy, hearty and delicious; definitely, a new favorite recipe!
This couscous was so flavorful! Loved how it partnered with the curry!
I never knew curried couscous could be so good! The flavors of the curry really shine through!
My family love this recipe, easy and delicious. Thanks for sharing