Fruity Moroccan Couscous Salad is quick and easy to prepare and makes a great light lunch or tasty side. The nutty texture of couscous combines with the sweetness and tanginess of dried fruits, spices, and fresh herbs to give a colorful and tasty salad in less than 15 minutes.
Would you like to SAVE this Post?
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
I respect your privacy and you can opt out at any time.
A couscous salad has enough variety to be served on its own but also works well as an eye-catching and delicious side served with meat, fish, or vegetarian dishes. It's perfect for BBQs, picnics, or to take to a Bring and Share (potluck). Pair it with a simple Homemade Flatbread for a quick lunch or serve as a side to these Kidney Bean Burgers on the BBQ or with Grilled Haddock or Plaice Fillets for a quick dinner. It makes a perfect accompaniment to this quick Chicken Mince Tagine recipe.
You can make this fruity salad ahead of time and store it in the fridge, making it an easy option when you're pushed for time or when entertaining.
Jump to:
Ingredients
The beauty of this Moroccan Fruity Couscous recipe is that it's easily adaptable and there are lots of substitutions you can use. The basics are couscous, dried fruits, spices, and fresh herbs.
- Couscous - you can use any variety of couscous. I prefer the smaller grains or regular couscous but you could also use other varieties. See Types of Couscous for more information.
- Orange juice - use fresh smooth orange juice.
- Dried Apricots - common in Moroccan and Middle Eastern cooking.
- Dried Cranberries, sometimes called Craisins - dried cranberries bring a slightly tart flavour which helps to balance the sweetness.
- Sultanas - use sultanas rather than raisins or currants.
- Chickpeas - use chickpeas in water and not brine. Rinse and drain the chickpeas before adding. Dried chickpeas need to be rehydrated overnight before use.
- Pomegranate seeds - these are optional but add lovely colour and texture.
- Fresh Mint - fresh herbs rather than dried herbs are needed in this recipe.
- Cumin powder - a warm spice often used in Middle Eastern cooking.
- Tumeric - this will give your fruity couscous salad a lovely golden colour.
- Cinnamon - helps to give the couscous a sweet and slightly citrus flavour.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Mix the orange juice, spices and olive oil into the boiling water.
Add the couscous to a large bowl and add the boiling water. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave to rehydrate for 5 - 10 minutes, depending on the brand.
Fluff up the couscous with a fork
Stir in the dried fruits, drained chickpeas, fresh herbs and serve.
Hint: Remember the hydration time for couscous will vary on the type and brand used.
Substitutions and Variations
One of the great things about this fruity couscous recipe is that it's so adaptable. The following are my recommended substitutions, swaps, and variations.
- Pine nuts (toasted)
- Pistachios
- Cashew nuts (shells removed)
- Flaked Almonds
- Fresh parsley or corinade (cilantro) instead of fresh mint.
- Red Bell Peppers, diced.
How to cook differnt types of couscous
You can make this Moroccan salad with any variety of couscous. You don't cook couscous, but rehydrate it. The rehydration time will vary depending on the brand and type you use from around 5 - 15 minutes. Couscous is not a grain. It's rolled balls of semolina. However, be aware that the larger varieties of couscous (Pearl, Israeli and Lebanese) are not strictly couscous and will need longer cooking. They will still work in this fruity salad but will take longer to prepare.
- Moroccan - this is the smallest and most common couscous grain and it rehydrates quickly.
- Golden - these are larger grains with a slightly nutty flavour.
- Whole Wheat Couscous - this is made from milled and steamed whole grains rather than semolina and is a good source of fibre and protein.
- Pearl or Israeli Couscous - this is actually a type of pasta shaped into tiny balls and not couscous. You can still use it for this salad, however, you should follow the packet instructions for cooking. This type of couscous is usually boiled rather than just rehydrated.
- Lebanese - this couscous has larger grains than pearl or Israeli couscous, about the size of a pea. Follow the packet instructions on how to cook Lebanese couscous. It generally needs to be simmered for about 15 minutes rather than just rehydrated.
Equipment
You will need a large bowl and a measuring jug for the liquid. To cook Pearl, Israeli or Lebanese couscous, you will need a pan.
Serving Suggestions
This Fruity couscous salad pairs well with meat, fish, or vegetarian dishes. Try it with a simple grilled fish such as Grilled Haddock or Pan Fried Plaice. It's a great side to have at a BBQ as you can prepare it in advance. My easy Kidney Bean Burgers are a delicious vegetarian BBQ option. For a light lunch, a simple 3 ingredient flatbread is perfect, or serve it with a green salad and some hummus.
Storage
You can store Fruity Couscous in the fridge for 3 days. Store it in a sealed box to prevent the aroma of the spices from tainting the other food. It's great for lunch the next day and sometimes can taste even better once the flavours have had time to infuse.
Couscous doesn't freeze well.
Top tip
Measure out the quantity of couscous and liquid carefully to make sure you don't end up with a soggy mess.
Sustainability
You can buy Fairtrade Couscous as well as Fairtrade spices such as cumin, turmeric and cinnamon used in this recipe. Fairtrade works directly with small-scale farmers and workers to help them improve their living standards, invest in the communities and businesses and protect our environment.
If you have leftover mint or pomegranate seeds, you might also like this Broad Bean (Fava Bean) salad.
FAQ
No, you don't need to rinse your couscous before rehydrating it.
Adding Olive Oil to couscous help separate the grains and stops them from sticking together.
Dried chickpeas are very economical and last a long time. However, you do need to soak them in water overnight before adding them to this Fruit Couscous recipe.
I use canned or tinned chickpeas in water that are already hydrated.
More Quick Lunch Ideas
Looking for other quick lunch ideas? Try these:
Dishes that go well with Couscous Salad
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Fruity Couscous:
⭐Before you begin! Please leave a review and rating if you made this recipe. I so appreciate it and it helps me be able to continue providing you with free recipes.
📖 Recipe
Fruity Moroccan Couscous Salad
Would you like to SAVE this Post?
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
I respect your privacy and you can opt out at any time.
Ingredients
- 200 ml Boiling water
- 100 ml Orange Juice Smooth
- 0.5 teaspoon Cumin Powder Fairtrade available
- 0.5 teaspoon Tumeric Fairtrade available
- 0.5 teaspoon Cinnamon powder Fairtrade available
- 4 tablespoon Olive oil Fairtrade available
- 200 g couscous Fairtrade available
- 50 g dried apricots chopped
- 50 g sultanas
- 25 g Dried Cranberries or Craisins
- 25 g Pomegranate Seeds optional
- 400 g chickpeas hydrated, drained and rinsed
- 15 g Fresh Mint chopped
Instructions
- Mix the orange juice, spices and olive oil into the boiling water.200 ml Boiling water, 100 ml Orange Juice, 0.5 teaspoon Cumin Powder, 0.5 teaspoon Tumeric, 0.5 teaspoon Cinnamon powder, 4 tablespoon Olive oil
- Add the couscous to a large bowl and add the boiling water. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave to rehydrate for 5 - 10 minutes, depending on the brand.200 g couscous
- Fluff up the couscous with a fork
- Stir in the dried fruits, drained chickpeas, fresh herbs and serve.50 g dried apricots, 50 g sultanas, 25 g Dried Cranberries, 25 g Pomegranate Seeds, 400 g chickpeas, 15 g Fresh Mint
Notes
Ingredient Notes
-
- Couscous - you can use any variety of couscous. I prefer the smaller grains or regular couscous but you could also use other varieties. See below for more information.
-
- Orange juice - use fresh smooth orange juice.
-
- Dried Apricots - common in Moroccan and Middle Eastern cooking.
-
- Dried Cranberries, sometimes called Craisins - dried cranberries bring a slightly tart flavour which helps to balance the sweetness.
-
- Sultanas - use sultanas rather than raisins or currants.
-
- Chickpeas - use chickpeas in water and not brine. Rinse and drain the chickpeas before adding. Dried chickpeas need to be rehydrated overnight before use.
-
- Pomegranate seeds - these are optional but add lovely colour and texture.
-
- Fresh Mint - fresh herbs rather than dried herbs are needed in this recipe.
-
- Cumin powder - a warm spice often used in Middle Eastern cooking.
-
- Tumeric - this will give your fruity couscous salad a lovely golden colour.
-
- Cinnamon - helps to give the couscous a sweet and slightly citrus flavour.
Variations
-
- Pine nuts (toasted)
-
- Pistachios
-
- Cashew nuts (shells removed)
-
- Flaked Almonds
-
- Fresh parsley or corinade (cilantro) instead of fresh mint.
-
- Red Bell Peppers, diced.
Storage
You can store in the fridge for 3 days. Store it in a sealed box to prevent the aroma of the spices from tainting the other food. It's great for lunch the next day and sometimes can taste even better once the flavours have had time to infuse. Couscous doesn't freeze well.Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
Carlos
Hi, I'm going to try and make this but replacing the couscous with quinoa to make it gluten free. Should I follow the recipe the same way? use more or less quinoa, pre boil quinoa first?
Thanks
REALMEALDEAL
Hi, quinoa is a good gluten-free alternative to couscous, but needs cooking in a slightly different way. You can still follow the recipe and use the orange juice and spices. You will need to adjust the liquid to grain ratio and this is different for quinoa. See the packet instructions, but it is usually 2:1 liquid to grain. Instead of placing it in a bowl, you should add the liquid and quinoa to a pan, bring to a boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.