I am seriously in love with this delicious Moroccan couscous salad, which is made with a simple and tasty dressing!
It’s packed with so much flavor and great texture, and it’s very easy to make. This hearty salad features plenty of fresh ingredients, such as tender couscous, a mix of roasted veggies, chickpeas, carrots, almonds, raisins and more!
Enjoy this Moroccan couscous salad for a quick lunch or a side to your favorite grilled meats. It’s make-ahead friendly and ideal for meal prep!
This hearty Moroccan couscous salad is colorful and vibrant, and loaded with roasted veggies and tons of spices for the freshest flavors!
I love every single ingredient here. It’s made with tender couscous, roasted eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers…and then tossed with chickpeas and crunchy carrots and almonds. The zesty homemade dressing ties everything together for the most amazing bite ever.
I usually serve it as a side dish for main dishes like my Spatchcock Chicken or Grilled Marinated Pork Chops in the summer. During the fall or winter, I love to pair it with my weeknight Sheet Pan Salmon!
It’s also perfect for meal prep lunch, which I often pair with a simple pan seared chicken. Or serve it meatless, as this Moroccan couscous salad already comes packed with protein from the chickpeas!
I have a number of hearty salads just like it that I absolutely love, such as my Mediterranean Lentil Salad, Mediterranean Chicken Salad, and Wild Rice Salad. My list of salad recipes keeps growing, and I’m always excited to share them here!
Why I love making this Moroccan couscous salad:
- Easy to make! Couscous cooks very quickly, and can be served warm or cold.
- Make-ahead friendly. Great for quick lunches or meal prep.
- So much flavor and texture! The couscous is so tasty and tender thanks to the broth and turmeric it’s cooked in, and balances the freshness and crunch of the other ingredients.
- The dressing is amazing. You’ll love the vibrant and zesty dressing made with lemon juice, oil, garlic, cumin, and coriander.
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Ingredient Notes
There are a number of ingredients in this salad, but most, if not all, include things that may already be in your pantry or are readily available at stores. Below are a few notes from recipe testing, and quantities are listed in the recipe card down below, as always.
- Moroccan couscous: Looks like a grain but is actually made from semolina flour, which is made from wheat. Moroccan style couscous looks like small grains (this is the one you need for this recipe), whereas Israeli couscous is larger and different.
- Chicken broth: This adds much more flavor than using just water. Can also use vegetable broth.
- Ground turmeric: Gives the couscous its pretty yellow color!
- Olive oil: Helps to prevent the couscous clumping. You’ll also need some for roasting the veggies.
- Black raisins: A wonderful sweet addition. I add it to the couscous while it’s cooking. The steam will rehydrate them, making them soft and plump.
- Red bell pepper, eggplant, and zucchini: Roasted to perfection to add a nice smoky element to the Moroccan couscous salad.
- Red onions and garlic: Diced onion and minced garlic are necessary aromatics that provide the best flavors, also cooked in the oven.
- Carrots: For freshness and crunch. Shredded, or use store-bought matchstick carrots.
- Canned chickpeas: Drained and rinsed. A great way to pack in protein.
- Fresh parsley: Adds that aromatic touch of freshness.
- Slivered almonds: Feel free to swap for other nuts too.
- Olive oil and fresh lemon juice: The base of the dressing. I recommend freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Cumin and coriander: These earthy spices add extra flavor and tang to the dressing.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Step-by-Step Tutorial
Prepping for this Moroccan couscous salad is just a matter of roasting the veggies and cooking the couscous. The rest is drizzle, toss, and serve. Let me show you how I make it!
Step 1 | Cook the couscous
First things first, preheat oven to 450 degrees F for roasting the vegetables.
Moroccan couscous basically cooks “instantly” off the heat. In a medium saucepan, combine chicken broth, turmeric, and olive oil. Bring that to a low boil, and stir in the couscous. Cover with a lid and immediately take it off the heat. Set it aside, still covered and off the heat, for five minutes until tender and all the liquid is absorbed.
Use a fork to fluff it up. Then add the raisins and cover once again. The steam will rehydrate the raisins.
Step 2 | Roast the vegetables
Use 2 large sheet pans to roast your veggies. You want to make sure to arrange them in a single layer and not overcrowded. If they’re too close together, they’ll end up steaming rather than crisping up nicely.
Arrange the red bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, and red onions in a single layer and toss with salt, pepper, and minced garlic.
Roast at high heat for 15-18 minutes until slightly softened with crispy edges. You don’t want them to be mushy. Plus, they will continue cooking with any residual heat.
Step 3 | Make the dressing
Combine the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper in a mason jar. Seal the jar and give it a good shake to combine. That’s it! You can also use a bowl and a whisk, but a mason jar makes it easier to store, especially if meal prepping.
Step 4 | Assemble
In a large salad bowl, add the couscous and roasted veggies. Then, add the chickpeas, carrots, almonds, and chopped parsley.
Drizzle the dressing overtop and toss to combine. Do a little taste test and add a little more oil, salt, and pepper if necessary.
This amazing Moroccan couscous salad can be served immediately while still warm or cold. It’s delicious either way!
How to Cook Moroccan Couscous
This recipe calls for Moroccan-style couscous, which is yellow in color and has distinct small grains. Other types of couscous tend to be larger and have different cooking methods. Just something to keep in mind when picking out your ingredients.
Generally, it’s a 1-to-1 ratio of couscous to liquid. However, I always add a bit more liquid, an extra ¼ cup, for extra tenderness. Not to worry, it won’t turn out mushy! Couscous basically cooks off the heat, and it’s just 5 minutes, so it’s a great quick lunch option.
- In a saucepan, add broth and olive oil and bring it to a boil. For this recipe, I add turmeric for extra color.
- Then, stir in the couscous, give it a quick stir, cover tightly with the lid, and immediately remove it from the heat.
- Let it stand for 5 minutes to the side to give it a chance to absorb the flavorful broth.
- When ready, fluff with a fork and that’s it!
Make Ahead Tips
You can cook the couscous the day before and store it in the refrigerator. If you prefer to serve it warm in the salad, warm it up in the microwave the next day and toss it with the rest of the ingredients.
Prepare the veggies for roasting by dicing and storing in an airtight container in the fridge. Do this with everything except the eggplants, as those tend to brown easily. You can also roast everything ahead.
If you’re assembling the salad completely and letting it chill overnight, I recommend adding the dressing just before serving. The prepared dressing can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Meal prep: Divide the salad into lunch containers for a quick grab-n-go meal. If you have small dressing containers, that would be ideal to prevent sogginess. Serve cold, at room temp, or slightly warmed up.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
This gorgeous Moroccan couscous salad comes with plenty of bold flavors and textures, and yet it still manages to go with everything!
For dinner, pair it with my Lemon Roast Chicken, Greek Chicken and Potatoes, or Chicken Kabobs. Or keep the entire meal vegetarian and serve it with a Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant as the filling.
A quick lunch could include make-ahead Greek Meatballs with this couscous salad on the side. So good!
More fabulous hearty salad recipes to try:
- Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Roasted Asparagus and Sweet Potato Salad
- Kale and Apple Salad (feel free to add grains like quinoa or farro!)
- Roasted Cauliflower and Kale Salad
- Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowls
Recipe FAQs
Sure, you can! Use whichever type you prefer and follow the cooking directions on the package.
This salad would be great with sliced grilled or seared chicken breast, grilled shrimp, or even salmon.
This is a highly customizable recipe! Try veggies that add texture and crunch, such as cucumbers, or tomatoes and Greek olives for juiciness. You can also add crumbled feta cheese.
This post was originally published in 2019 and updated in January 2025 to include new photos and information.
Tips for Success
- Couscous needs to cook off the heat in just 5 minutes. It’s very easy and quick.
- Meal prep tip: I always lay out all the ingredients separately in the same container, and then toss everything together when ready to serve. Add the dressing last so it doesn’t get soggy.
- Use canned chickpeas for ease and convenience. They are already soft and ready to eat. Rinse them and rub the skin off with your fingers. It should come off easily. This helps with texture. You could also roast them for extra crunch.
- Don’t overcook the veggies, or they can become too soft and mushy. Just 15 minutes at 450 degrees F is perfect. The salad should have a crisp and tender texture. Alternatively, you can grill them.
- If desired, swap the almonds for pine nuts or chopped pistachios instead, or your favorite kind.
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Moroccan Couscous Salad
Equipment
- Large sheet pan need 2
Ingredients
For the couscous:
- 1 ¾ cups vegetable or chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ cups Moroccan-style couscous - not pearl couscous
- ½ cup dried raisins
Vegetable and mix-ins:
- 1 red bell pepper - diced
- 1 medium zucchini - diced
- 2 cups diced eggplant
- 1 small red onion - diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium carrots - peeled and grated, I use a box grater
- 1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas - drained
- ½ cup chopped Italian parsley - plus more to taste
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper - to taste
Dressing:
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil - plus more to taste
- 1 lemon, juiced - zest is optional
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- Salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Cook the couscous: In a medium saucepan, combine chicken broth, turmeric, and olive oil. Bring to a low boil and stir in the couscous. Cover with the lid tightly and turn off the heat immediately. Let it sit for 5 minutes, covered and off the heat. Then fluff the couscous with a fork. Add raisins and cover again (the steam will slightly rehydrate the raisins). Set aside to let it cool slightly.
- Roast vegetables: On 2 large sheet pans (to avoid overcrowding), arrange the diced red bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, and red onions on one single layer. Toss with the minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 15 to 18 minutes, or until crisp tender and just slightly softened.
- Make the dressing: In a mason jar, combine extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt and pepper to taste. Seal the jar and shake well to combine.
- Assemble: In a large bowl, combine the cooked couscous and raisins with all the roasted vegetables, grated carrots, chickpeas, chopped parsley, and almonds. Drizzle the prepared dressing and toss until evenly combined. If needed, season with more olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!
Notes
- Can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold.
- Couscous cooks off the heat once the liquid has come to a boil, don’t simmer it continuously. It can affect texture.
- For meal prep, arrange everything separately (in the same container) and toss with dressing just before serving to prevent sogginess.
- Store leftovers in a container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Serve cold or slightly reheated.
- Protein: Seared or grilled chicken, shrimp, and salmon.
- Nuts: Pine nuts or pistachios are great options.
- Veggie add-ins: Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, olives, pomegranate seeds.
- Cheese: Crumbled feta.
Rachael says
Brilliant recipe – thank you. We didn’t have aubergines, courgettes or chickpeas, so added spring onion, yellow pepper and borlotti beans instead – but still tasted amazing. Love the flavours, method for plumping up the raisins, the variety of textures and colours. Good to have in the fridge – to take for packed lunches or to have with fish for dinner. Will definitely be making this again. Perfect!
Anne says
What an amazing recipe…thanks!
Angela says
What a wonderful recipe! We loved it and will absolutely make it again. Thank you for sharing.
Tania says
Thank you, Angela!
Linda Borsey says
Just finished making this and its delicious. Lots of layers of flavour, will definitely be making it again. Didn’t have any carrots and I don’t think its detrimental to the flavour, but will add them next time.
Jenn says
This was really delicious. I added some lemon zest and a little extra lemon juice. Would definitely make this again. Thanks for the recipe!
Katie says
Really tasty and healthy recipe full of vegetables! I add a little more of the spices to taste. Thanks!
Brenda Wilkin says
This has become a very regular favourite. Everyone loves it. I sometimes add extra roasted veg like mushroom or broccoli. It is always delicious. Great for vegans also, just replace chicken stock with vegetable stock
Tania says
Thank you so much for trying it! Happy to hear!