Autumn Couscous Salad
User Reviews
4
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Prep Time
35 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
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Servings
6 -8 as a side dish
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Calories
402 kcal
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Course
Salad
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Cuisine
Mediterranean
Autumn Couscous Salad
Description
This salad begins with Israeli couscous cooked al dente and cooled without rinsing, preserving its slightly sticky texture. Meanwhile, shallots and diced fennel are sautéed in olive oil until softened, then combined with diced butternut squash, fresh sage, cranberries, currants, and apple juice. The mixture is cooked until the squash is tender and most of the apple juice has cooked down. Seasoning with kosher salt and pepper enhances the natural sweetness and earthiness of the vegetables and dried fruit.
The cooked couscous is combined with the vegetable and fruit mixture, while preserving a small amount of the apple juice from cooking to create a vinaigrette with canola oil and red wine vinegar. This dressing adds acidity and moisture, bringing the components together. Fresh parsley adds a green herbal note for brightness. Letting the salad sit for 30 minutes allows flavors to meld well.
This dish works well as a fall side salad accompanying roasted meats or as a standalone light meal. The mix of soft squash, chewy dried fruit, and herbaceous notes provides a satisfying variety of textures and tastes that celebrate autumn produce and flavors.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Israeli couscous about 1 ½ cups, or pearl couscous
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot , diced, about 2 tablespoons
- 1 fennel bulb , diced, about 1 cup
- 2 ½ cups butternut squash , peeled, seeded and diced
- 3 tablespoons sage chopped, fresh
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup currants dried
- 1 ½ cups apple juice , (reserving ¼ cup of the cooked juice)
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- salt kosher salt
- black pepper kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon parsley , chopped
Instructions
- Bring water to boil in a medium size saucepan, add couscous and bring back to a boil then lower to medium and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain in a colander, but do not rinse. Set aside in a mixing bowl to cool.
- Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the shallot and cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Add diced fennel and cook for another 5 minutes or until fennel softens. Add butternut squash, sage, cranberries, currants and apple juice and cook for 15 minutes or until butternut squash has softened and almost all of the apple juice has cooked down. Season with kosher salt and pepper.Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the couscous, reserving about ¼ cup of the apple juice for the vinaigrette.
- In a small bowl, mix the reserved apple juice, canola oil, red wine vinegar and more salt and pepper to taste. Add to the coucous with the parsley and stir. Let coucous sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes for flavors to meld before serving. Add more sage if desired.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6-8 as a side dish
Amount Per Serving
Calories 402 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 402kcal | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 69g | 23% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 13g | 20% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Sodium | 32mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 639mg | 14% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 26g | 52% |
| Vitamin A | 6319IU | 126% |
| Vitamin C | 19mg | 21% |
| Calcium | 96mg | 10% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4
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