4 from 159 votes
Autumn Couscous Salad
The Autumn Couscous Salad features Israeli couscous combined with sautéed shallots, fennel, and butternut squash cooked in apple juice, along with dried cranberries and currants. A fresh herb finish with parsley and a vinaigrette of apple juice, canola oil, and red wine vinegar balances the sweet and savory elements. This salad offers tender, chewy textures with sweet and earthy layers perfect for a flavorful side or light meal.
Prep Time
35 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
Servings:
6
-8 as a side dish
Calories:
402 kcal
Course:
Salad
Cuisine:
Mediterranean
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.
Cup of Yum
Nutrition Information
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%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6 -8 as a side dish
Amount Per Serving
Calories 402
% 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.