Curried Couscous Chickpea Salad

Filled with colorful vegetables and covered in a creamy curry dressing, this Moroccan-inspired curried couscous chickpea salad is the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and savory, and works well as a vegetarian main course or side dish to grilled meat.

I don’t know about you, but I can get into a salad with salads. Whether I’m using the same vegetables (hello, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers!) or the same dressing (hello, balsamic!) my salad life can get a little mundane. So, if you’re like me and if you’re looking for a new (and different) hearty salad, this salad recipe is for you.

In my opinion, this curried couscous chickpea salad is the perfect salad for a summer BBQ. Not only does it mix things up from basic coleslaw or pasta salad, but the combination of sweet and salty flavors is the perfect accompaniment to grilled meat, fish, sausages, or burgers.

Why You’ll Love It

• Quick and Easy – This chickpea couscous salad only requires minimal cooking and is ready in under 30 minutes.
• High in Fiber – With 8 grams of fiber per serving, this veggie-loaded salad is packed full of fiber.
• Full of Flavor – The sweet and savory curry salad dressing ensures this salad is full of flavor in every bite.
• Great for Meal Prep – This salad keeps well for days making it a great make-ahead dish.

Ingredients + Substitutions

• Couscous – I used pearl couscous, also known as Israeli couscous, but you can use any type of couscous you like. Moroccan couscous, whole wheat couscous, and tri-color couscous would all work well. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
• Chickpeas – Also known as garbanzo beans, to add some plant-based protein and fiber. I used canned chickpeas but you can cook them from scratch if desired, see the notes section of the recipe card for details.
• Vegetables – A combination of bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, and carrots to add color, fiber, and micronutrients. Some cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes would also work well.
• Raisins – To add a hint of sweetness to the salad. I used Thompson raisins but golden raisins and chopped dates would also work well.
• Almonds – To add some crunch and healthy fats, cashews would also work well.
• Fresh Herbs – A bit of fresh cilantro and mint to add some leafy greens, parsley would also work well.
• Olive Oil – To make the curry salad dressing. I used extra virgin olive oil but you can use any olive oil you like; avocado oil would also work well.
• Yogurt – To ensure the salad dressing is rich and creamy. You can use regular yogurt or Greek yogurt.
• Lemon Juice – To balance the dressing with some acid. I used fresh lemon juice, but you can use lemon juice concentrate if needed.
• Garlic – To flavor the dressing. I used a garlic clove but you can use garlic powder if preferred. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
• Curry Powder – To flavor the dressing, ground turmeric would also work well. You can use any style of curry powder or ras el hanout, a Moroccan curry powder, or use ground cumin instead.
• Salt and Pepper – To season.

While I didn’t add any, a sprinkle of feta cheese would be a nice addition to the salad.

How to Make Curried Couscous Chickpea Salad

1. Cook the couscous. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil, add the couscous, and cook as per package directions until tender, then drain in a mesh sieve, and rinse under cold water to cool.
2. Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, add the olive oil, yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, curry powder, salt, and pepper and whisk until combined.
3. Chop the veggies. Dice the red bell pepper, red onion, carrots, and cucumber into bite-size pieces, and finely chop the cilantro and mint.
4. Make the salad. In a large bowl, add the couscous, chickpeas, bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, raisins, almonds, cilantro, and mint, toss to combine, cover with dressing, and toss again until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
5. Serve and enjoy! The salad can be served immediately or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

You can find the detailed instructions in the recipe card below.

Serving Suggestions

This couscous chickpea salad is a great source of complex carbohydrates, fiber, and healthy fats with a moderate amount of protein. To ensure it’s a more balanced meal, I would suggest serving it with a source of protein, such as:

• Cilantro Lime Chicken
• Lemon Pepper Chicken
• Honey Garlic Pork Chops
• Lemon Paprika Chicken
• Grilled Tofu Skewers

More Couscous and Chickpea Salad Recipes:

• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
• Mediterranean Couscous Salad
• Quinoa Chickpea Salad

Curried Couscous Chickpea Salad

Author: Stephanie Kay

This chickpea couscous salad with curry dressing is full of colors, flavors, and textures, and works well as a vegetarian main course or side dish. Plus, it keeps well in the fridge for days which makes it great for meal prep.

• Author: Stephanie Kay
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings
• Category: Salad
• Method: Stovetop

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Ingredients

Salad:

• 1 cup pearl couscous
• 1 can (14 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/2 English cucumber, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cups raisins
• 1/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped

Yogurt Curry Dressing:

• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch black pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil, add pearl couscous, and cook for 13-15 minutes or as per package directions until tender. Once cooked, transfer to a mesh sieve, rinse the couscous under cold water until cool, and then set it aside.
2. In a small jar or bowl, add the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, curry powder, salt, and pepper and whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
3. In a large bowl, add the cooled couscous, chickpeas, red bell pepper, red onion, carrots, cucumber, raisins, almonds, cilantro, and mint, and toss until well combined.
4. Pour the curry dressing over the salad, toss again until well combined, then taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
5. The salad can be served immediately or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

To Use Vegetable Broth: If you want to add extra flavor, you can cook the couscous in chicken or vegetable broth, or a mixture of broth and water.

To Use Regular Couscous: Swap the pearl couscous for 1 cup of regular couscous, medium couscous, or whole wheat couscous.

To Use Dry Chickpeas: Add 3/4 cups of dry chickpeas to a large bowl, cover with room temperature water, and soak overnight or for at least 8 hours. Once soaked, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the soaked chickpeas, and cook them for 40 minutes to 1 hour until tender. Once cooked, strain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to the soup as per step #3.

To Use Garlic Powder: Swap the garlic clove for 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 331 calories
• Sugar: 12 grams
• Fat: 10 grams
• Carbohydrates: 52 grams
• Fiber: 8 grams
• Protein: 11 grams