Warm Roasted Vegetable Harvest Couscous Salad
Warm roasted vegetable couscous salad filled with nourishing winter produce, protein from chickpeas, and a lovely apple cider maple tahini dressing. This beautiful harvest salad is easy to customize with sweet and savory garnishes, and makes the perfect seasonal lunch!
Servings 6 servings
Calories 513cal
Ingredients
- For the roasted vegetables:
- 3 to 4 cups cubed butternut squash (or sub honeynut squash or sweet potato)
- 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for a little kick)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the salad:
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale, destemmed and finely chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- For the apple cider maple tahini dressing:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Toppings and garnish:
- ½ heaping cup dried cranberries or cherries (or sub chopped dates)
- ½ heaping cup roasted and salted pepitas (make sure to get them roasted and salted bc they have much more flavor!)
- 4 ounces feta (or sub goat cheese), crumbled
- Freshly ground salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roast the vegetables: Add the butternut squash, chickpeas and red onion to the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and pure maple syrup. Sprinkle vegetables with the spices: salt, turmeric, coriander, thyme, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper (if using), and a few grinds of black pepper. Use clean hands to toss the vegetables together until they are well-coated with spices, then spread out on the pan in a single layer. Roast in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until vegetables are fork tender and chickpeas are crispy.
- Prepare the couscous: While the veggies, cook the couscous. In a medium pot, add the water, couscous and salt and bring to a boil. Stir couscous, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed. Transfer to a large sieve and drain any excess liquid, then return back to the pot to keep warm.
- Make the dressing: While the couscous cooks, make the dressing. In a medium bowl, add the olive oil, tahini, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, dijon, and salt until well combined.
- Transfer the couscous, chopped kale, parsley and cilantro to a large bowl and pour in half of the dressing. Use tongs to toss until dressing coats everything well, about 1 minute.
- Assemble the salad: If you want to serve this ‘family style’ or on a platter: add the kale and couscous mixture to a large platter, top with the warm roasted vegetables, then garnish with cranberries (or cherries, or dates!), pepitas and feta.
- Serve the salad: Divide into individual bowls and drizzle with remaining dressing and garnish with extra flaky salt and black pepper. Salad is delicious served warm or cold.
Notes
To make dairy free: Feel free to skip the feta.
To make gluten free: Skip the couscous and use quinoa instead. I suggest making 1 cup of quinoa according to the directions on the package.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (based on 6) | Calories: 513cal | Carbohydrates: 63.1g | Protein: 13.6g | Fat: 24.2g | Saturated Fat: 5.3g | Fiber: 9.3g | Sugar: 18.1g