Curried Couscous Salad
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This curried couscous salad is one you’ll want to make on repeat! With ingredients like large pearl couscous, almonds, golden raisins, carrots, and cucumbers tossed in a curry vinaigrette, it’s light, refreshing, and bursting with flavor and texture. It makes a wonderful lunch, side dish, or potluck recipe.
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This curried couscous salad recipe is based on a salad sold at my local market that I absolutely love – it’s a bit sweet, a bit tangy, earthy, smooth, and crunchy. They won’t give out the recipe, so I went to work in my own kitchen until I got it as close to theirs as possible. It’s so delish!
Tips & Variations
- Use large pearl couscous. Also known as Israeli couscous, large pearl couscous is different from regular couscous. It’s bigger, a bit more chewy, and has a more pasta-like texture. I find that it works much better in this salad.
- Madras curry vs regular curry. Madras curry is a specific type of curry powder. It’s a bit spicier than regular curry powder. I like the kick it gives to this salad but if you only have regular curry powder on hand, that will work too.
- Add some beans. To make this salad even more filling, consider adding a can of chickpeas. Just drain and rinse them first.
- Chill before serving. While I’ve definitely made this salad and enjoyed it immediately, I do recommend giving it time to chill for an hour or longer. It gives the flavors a chance to meld a bit more.
Curried Couscous Salad
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/2 cups Israeli couscous, (large pearl couscous)
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup toasted almonds, , chopped
- 1 small Persian cucumber, , diced very small
- 3/4 cup shredded and chopped carrot
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, (or parsley)
- 1/4 cup olive oil, (or avocado oil)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, (or red wine vinegar)
- 2 teaspoons Madras yellow curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, (or 1 finely minced garlic clove)
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Instructions
- In a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook 1 & 1/2 cups large pearl couscous for 7 minutes. Drain the couscous, and run under cold water until cool.
- In the meantime, place 1/2 cup raisins in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside to plump up while the couscous cooks, then drain the raisins and pat dry.
- Transfer couscous and raisins to a large mixing bowl.
- Add in 1/2 cup toasted chopped almonds, 1 diced Persian cucumber, 3/4 cup shredded chopped carrot, and 1/2 cup chopped cilantro.
- To a small jar with a lid, add 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Seal the jar and shake well until emulsified.
- Pour dressing over the couscous mixture and toss until everything is well coated.
- Serve right away or chill in the refrigerator for an hour.
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!
What To Serve With Curried Couscous Salad
This curried couscous salad works as both the main course and a side dish. I personally love enjoying a bowl of this for a light lunch during the summer! It also works great as a side dish to proteins like grilled chicken, honey garlic glazed salmon, and air fryer pork chops.
Proper Storage
Curried couscous salad makes excellent leftovers! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
More Couscous Recipes To Try
- Cowboy Caviar Couscous Salad
- Israeli Couscous Salad
- Spring Vegetable Couscous with Chicken
- Eggplant Couscous
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
I love your recipes. This was delicious.