Home » By Season » Fall » Autumn Pearl Couscous Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
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This pearl couscous salad is the epitome of Autumn! Loaded with roasted butternut squash chunks, tons of sweet cranberries, nutty pecans, all tossed with Israeli couscous, and a dijon vinaigrette.
Favorite salad of the season right here.
Okay, so I say that about salads all the time but the truth of the matter is, I love discovering new ways of combining ingredients/dressing and pairing them with beautiful colors, textures, flavors, and um.. hello, nutrition?
And after having a weekend filled with recipe testing iced pumpkin spiced old fashioned doughnuts, (they’re comin’, they’re comin’) I need a lot of this salad to reel me back into the world of normal, healthy food.
What gets me the most about this pearl couscous salad is the simple dijon vinaigrette dressing. It’s easy, it’s homemade with ingredients you keep in the pantry, and it’s way better than the store-bought stuff.Did I mention that it’s just tossing ingredients into a mason jar and giving it a couple of good shakes?Sometimes I catch myself singing “Shake It Off” while shaking the dressing. And it totally makes making dressing just a little more fun.
Let’s reflect on the Israeli couscous (or pearl couscous) in this salad for a second. They are small, teeny, tiny little nuggets of toasted semolina flour or wheat flour that closely resembles pasta. I love the chewy, slight nuttiness of it in the salad as it pairs beautifully with the roasted butternut squash and the dried cranberries.
Pearl couscouscan be difficult to find sometimes, so you could simply replace it with orzo pasta, cooked wild rice, or a wild rice blend. Either way, with or without the pearl couscous, this autumn harvest salad is perfect for this time of year.
Dressing – like I said, it’s simple ingredients that you’ve most likely already have at home
- orange juice (apple will work too)
- dijon mustard
- garlic powder
- honey
- olive oil
- apple cider vinegar
Roasted Butternut Squash.????
Because, I’m on a mission to fit in as much squash into my diet as humanly possible in these next couple of months. I’m like a squirrel hogging it all to myself. It’s the perfect ‘meaty’ vegetable that this pearl couscous salad needs. It’s earthy, hearty, and filling. Just a simple toss in olive oil with a pinch ofsalt and pepper and I let it all roasted up in the oven for 25 minutes giving it a toss every 10 minutes or so. Easy babysitting but totally worth it because it takes a regular old salad to the next level.
And we like next level salads, don’t we?
The last step before eating, give it all a good toss in the dressing! Keep in mind the dressing will cause the spinach to wilt so if you don’t think you’ll be able to finish it all in one go, dress half the salad and leave the other half for later. this makes 4 decent sized servings of the pearl couscous salad. We almost always have leftovers so I only dress halfand keep the rest separate so lunch is just as fresh as dinner.
For an added crunch, you can sneak if a handful of sesame sticks. I get them from Trader Joe’s and we pretty much deck out every salad with them. 🙂
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
This pearl couscous salad is the epitome of Autumn! Loaded with roasted butternut squash chunks, tons of sweet cranberries, nutty pecans, all tossed with Israeli couscous, and a dijon vinaigrette.
Ingredients
salad:
- 1 butternut squash, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups dry pearl couscous, (cooked to package directions)
- 3 heaping cups baby spinach
- ½ cup EACH: thinly sliced red onions, dried cranberries, and toasted pecans
dressing:
- 3 tablespoons EACH: orange juice and honey
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425ºF. Place the diced butternut squash on a baking sheet, toss in olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread squash out in an even layer. Roasted squash for 20-25 minutes total, tossing halfway through or as needed. While the squash is roasting, prepare the couscous according to package directions.
- DRESSING: Add the orange juice, mustard, garlic powder, honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a mason jar. Screw on the lid and shake until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- ASSEMBLE: In a large bowl, toss together all the ingredients of the salad with the dressing and serve. Alternately, you can dress only portions of the salad and refrigerate the rest in an airtight container.
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FAQs
The ideal Israeli couscous-to-water ratio is about 1 cup of dry couscous to 1½ cups of water, but you can also cook Israeli couscous like pasta, simply draining off any excess liquid once the couscous is al dente. For even more flavor, sub the same amount of water for chicken broth or vegetable broth.
Is Pearl Couscous good for you? ›
Healthy Facts: Pearl couscous is a source of fiber. Fiber helps you feel fuller for longer, helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, aids digestion, and can help reduce constipation. Pearl couscous is low in sugar and is lower on the Glycemic Index.
Why is my pearl couscous mushy? ›
Use the correct amount of water or stock
With too much liquid, your couscous will go soggy. With not enough, it'll be hard. So, take the time to make all measurements accurately.
Does pearl couscous double in size when cooked? ›
Pearl couscous: You need 1 cup of uncooked pearl couscous, which will yield about 3 cups when cooked. Water: For a cup of uncooked couscous, you need 1 ½ cups water or other cooking liquid (such as broth).
How much water do you need for pearl couscous? ›
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Butter optional.
- 1 cup Traditional Pearl Couscous.
- 1 ½ cups Water.
- ½ tsp Salt.
How much does 1 cup dry Moroccan couscous yield? 1 cup of dry couscous will give you about 2 to 2 ½ cups of cooked couscous, which should generously feed 4 people (you should budget ⅓ cup to ½ cup per person).
What is the difference between couscous and pearl couscous? ›
The main difference between pearl couscous and Moroccan couscous is the size. The grains of Moroccan couscous are much smaller, compared to the pea-size granules in the pearl variety (made memorable by their namesake). This, of course, affects the preparation and cooking time of each grain.
Is couscous a good or bad carb? ›
Though couscous contains limited amounts of blood-sugar-lowering protein, it's fairly high in carbs, with 36 grams per cup (157 grams) (1). Those with blood sugar issues or diabetes should be cautious when consuming moderate- to high-carb foods.
What is healthier rice or pearl couscous? ›
Couscous is packed with nutrients and has better selenium per serving than white rice when it comes to selenium and other elements. It is light and filling, making it a good choice for busy professionals, families and people who don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen to prepare a healthy, delicious meal.
What can I add to couscous for flavor? ›
Infuse your couscous with international flavours. For a Mediterranean twist, incorporate feta, olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Moroccan-inspired couscous can include spices like cinnamon or ginger and dried fruits. Or try an Indian-inspired version with curry powder, peas and cashews.
There's no need to wash or rinse the couscous before cooking it as it doesn't contain starch. The butter/oil is optional, but it will help the grains to separate so it's recommended. Add the couscous to boiling water, and then take it off of the heat to avoid it overcooking.
How to spice up couscous? ›
Herbs: Couscous will always be better with a fresh lift of herbs. Chopped coriander and parsley are classic accompaniments, mint is excellent and you could also try other soft leaves such as basil. Lemon: Grated lemon rind and a squeeze of juice will add extra zing.
Is couscous a carb or protein? ›
Couscous contains 176 calories per cooked cup (157g). Of those calories, 85% come from carbs, 14% from protein, and 1% from fat.
Do you rinse pearl couscous after cooking? ›
After the couscous is cooked, drain it and then rinse it immediately with cold water, and then drain well. I had to use a fine mesh strainer to drain my couscous as the holes in my normal strainer are a bit too large. I also used a spatula to get the couscous out of the pan as it was a bit sticky.
What is the ratio of couscous to liquid? ›
Only boiling water is needed to cook your couscous, but the important bit is the couscous to water ratio, you should abide by the 1:1 rule. So, for 60g of couscous, you will need 60ml of boiling water.
How many servings is 2 cups of couscous? ›
You'll want to figure out how many people you need to serve and then you'll know how much couscous to make. I usually figure about 1/4 to 1/3 cup dry couscous per serving. For my family of 4, I use 1 to 1 1/2 cups dry couscous.
How much couscous do I need for 2 people? ›
For couscous, the issue is a little different because, unlike pasta, it increases its volume a lot during cooking. Therefore, if you have to calculate the portion per person of raw couscous, we recommend about 50-55 g per person.
What happens if you put too much water in couscous? ›
For the perfect couscous water ratio, you'll need 1 1/2 cups of water for every 1 cup of dry couscous. The important trick with couscous is to avoid adding too much liquid, as you'll end up with a soggy lump of just about inedible mush.
Favorite salad of the season right here.
Let’s reflect on the Israeli couscous (or pearl couscous) in this salad for a second. They are small, teeny, tiny little nuggets of toasted semolina flour or wheat flour that closely resembles pasta. I love the chewy, slight nuttiness of it in the salad as it pairs beautifully with the roasted butternut squash and the dried cranberries.
Roasted Butternut Squash.????
The last step before eating, give it all a good toss in the dressing! Keep in mind the dressing will cause the spinach to wilt so if you don’t think you’ll be able to finish it all in one go, dress half the salad and leave the other half for later. this makes 4 decent sized servings of the pearl couscous salad. We almost always have leftovers so I only dress halfand keep the rest separate so lunch is just as fresh as dinner.
