Moroccan Couscous Salad is a dish that is commonly used in soup- or stew-based meals in North Africa. This article contains an incredibly flavorful Moroccan couscous salad recipe that contains six different fruits and vegetables.
Can I prepare this Moroccan Couscous Salad in advance?
This Moroccan Couscous Salad is perfect for preparing ahead of time. By doing so, the fresh herbs and spices have more time to infuse, and the flavors become even more delicious. For the best flavor, make it a day ahead. Additionally, to store this Moroccan salad, simply place it in an airtight container or cover it with cling film and keep it in the fridge for a few days. When you’re ready to serve, take it out of the fridge about twenty minutes beforehand to allow it to come to room temperature.
What goes well with Moroccan Couscous Salad?
Moroccan Couscous Salad makes a fantastic main dish when served with pita bread and homemade hummus. Alternatively, you can also enjoy it alongside roasted cauliflower steaks with red pepper sauce for a complete and satisfying meal.
Moroccan Couscous Salad Variations and Alternatives
Here’s a different way to make Moroccan couscous salad. Instead of using regular boiling water, try using vegetable broth. It adds extra flavor. Before adding more salt, taste the couscous. Furthermore, if you have Ras El Hanout, you can use it instead of the spices. It’s an authentic Moroccan spice blend. Our suggested mix and quantities will give the salad a slightly different but equally tasty flavor. Moreover, in this recipe, the vegetables are diced finely. But if you prefer, you can roast the vegetables and cover them in harissa paste for a Moroccan twist. The salad will have a different texture and flavor, but it’s a fun variation to try.
Recipe
It takes approximately 30 minutes to make this recipe and is enough to serve two individuals.
Ingredients:
130 grams of instant couscous,
120 ml of water,
½ teaspoons salt,
2 teaspoons olive oil,
1 teaspoon ground cumin,
1 teaspoon ginger powder (you could also opt for fresh ginger, but make sure it is chopped finely).
1 teaspoon paprika powder,
½ pomegranate,
½ medium zucchini,
½ red paprika,
4 radishes, thinly sliced (optional)
½ orange,
1 teaspoons orange zest,
1 fig, fresh (don’t worry if you can’t find one),
1 tablespoon raisins,
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds,
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast,
15 grams of parsley, fresh,
salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions:
Boil the water. Once it is boiling, carefully pour it into a large serving bowl containing the couscous. Add ½ teaspoon of salt to enhance the flavor. Next, cover the couscous with either a tea towel or a lid and let it sit undisturbed for a duration of 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes have passed, take a fork and gently fluff up the couscous. It is important to ensure that the couscous is dry and free from any clumps. Then incorporate the olive oil, ground cumin, ginger powder, and paprika powder into the couscous.
Wash the orange and grate the zest. Additionally, peel and chop the orange into small pieces. Combine the orange zest and chopped orange with the couscous.
Deseed the pomegranate and add the seeds to the couscous.
Finely dice the zucchini and red bell pepper. Incorporate both vegetables into the salad, along with the raisins, sunflower seeds, radish slices (optional), figs (optional), and nutritional yeast.
Wash and chop the parsley, as well as any other optional herbs such as cilantro or mint, and add them to the salad. Season the salad with salt and pepper according to your taste preferences.
Give the salad a thorough toss to ensure all the ingredients are well combined.
Sources:
https://hurrythefoodup.com/moroccan-couscous-salad/