Moroccan Couscous Salad
Looking for a fresh, flavorful, and portable salad to beat the summer heat? This Moroccan Couscous Salad in a Jar is the perfect make-ahead meal. Tanya Linton, author of 150 Best Meals in a Jar, writes: “I absolutely love couscous, yet I never make it. When I was developing recipes for this book, I thought, ‘There has to be a simple salad version of this meal.’ Here’s what I came up with — if I say so myself, it’s pretty awesome.”
Ingredients
- 1-quart (1 L) mason jar
- 3⁄4 cup water 175 mL
- 1⁄4 cup couscous 60 mL
- 2 tbsp Citrus Vinaigrette (page 166) 30 mL
- 1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon 1 mL
- 1⁄4 tsp ground cumin 1 mL
- 1⁄4 tsp ground ginger 1 mL
- 1⁄2 cup finely chopped carrots 125 mL
- 1⁄2 cup finely chopped zucchini 125 mL
- 1⁄4 cup dried currants 60 mL
- 1⁄4 cup chopped dried apricots 60 mL
- 1⁄4 cup chopped dates 60 mL
- 1⁄2 cup packed arugula 125 mL
- 1⁄4 cup sliced almonds 60 mL
As seen in
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil over high heat. Stir in couscous, cover, remove from heat and let steam for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Let cool completely.
- In a small bowl, combine vinaigrette, cinnamon, cumin and ginger.
- Pour spiced vinaigrette into jar, wiping down any splashes on the side of the jar. Layer carrots, zucchini, couscous, currants, apricots, dates, arugula and almonds on top. Seal jar and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- When ready to serve, turn jar upside down in a bowl and let the dressing coat the salad.
Tip
- If desired, you can sauté the carrots and zucchini beforehand to soften them up. Let cool completely before adding to the jar.
Variation
- Chicken Couscous Salad: Add 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) cold chopped cooked chicken on top of the almonds.
Photography Credit: Colin Erricson
