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
Pearl couscous cooking instructions
Begin by rinsing couscous in a colander with cold water, making sure to agitate the couscous with your hands to rinse it. Drain immediately. Add couscous and olive oil, reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until all liquid has been absorbed, stirring occasionally, bout 10 minutes.
How much water do I need for 2 cups of pearl couscous? ›
If you're making traditional wheat or whole-wheat couscous the general rule is to use 1½ cup of water for every 1 cup of couscous (a 1.5 to 1 ratio). For cooking pearl couscous, also known as Israeli couscous, you want to reduce the water to 2/3 cup for every 1 cup of couscous.
Is pearl couscous healthy? ›
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.
How to make couscous taste good? ›
Add enough other elements and couscous can be a meal in itself. 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.
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.
How do you know when pearl couscous is done? ›
Cook the pearl couscous.
Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for about 14 minutes, or until the couscous is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat. At this stage, you can serve the pearl couscous as is.
How much couscous does 1 cup make? ›
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 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.
What are the disadvantages of couscous? ›
High in Gluten
Since couscous is made from semolina flour, it contains gluten. This makes it off limits for those with a gluten allergy or intolerance. Though only about 1% of the population has a gluten intolerance known as celiac disease, it's thought that 0.5–13% of people may have non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
Health Benefits of Integrating Couscous into Your Diet
From being a rich source of protein to its relatively high fibre content, couscous offers a nutritional boost that can positively impact your overall well-being and offer a welcome alternative to eating pasta every day of the week.
Is pearl couscous better for you than pasta? ›
Couscous has a nutritional profile similar to white pasta, high in carbohydrates without other health benefits such as fiber or protein content. If you are looking to enjoy food with a higher carbohydrate content, there isn't much difference between choosing pasta or couscous.
How do you keep couscous Fluffy? ›
Use a fork to fluff the couscous – stirring it with a spoon can make it go clumpy. Giant couscous isn't meant to be fluffy, but you do want the balls to separate, so boil them like pasta and then toss in oil or butter to stop them sticking.
How much couscous for 2 people? ›
You want to have around 60g of couscous per person. 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 to tell if cooked couscous is bad? ›
Dry couscous that has become discolored or has visible mold should be discarded. A change in texture or the presence of an unpleasant odor also suggests contamination. Cooked couscous that has an off smell or has become slimy should not be eaten, as it could harbor harmful bacteria.
How to stop pearl couscous sticking? ›
You can toss the uncooked couscous in a drizzle of oil before adding the liquid, which coats each grain in oil and helps them stay separate. Alternatively, add a drizzle of oil as you fluff up the grains. Use a fork to fluff the couscous – stirring it with a spoon can make it go clumpy.
Should you soak couscous before cooking? ›
The good news is that the couscous sold in most Western supermarkets is a pre-cooked type. It is steamed and dried before being packaged so only needs to be rehydrated by covering with boiling water or stock (broth). Cover tightly and leave to stand for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
Do you need to drain couscous? ›
Bring water to a boil. Add couscous and salt. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain off any remaining water.
How to stop couscous from being dry? ›
Use too much liquid and your couscous will be a bit on the sticky side. And if you use too little liquid, your couscous will be drier (this may work well, if you're tossing couscous in a salad where salad dressing will add more moisture). Use broth for your cooking liquid.
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.
