Curried Chickpea Couscous Salad | Ambitious Kitchen

You might have seen that I’ve been on couscous kick over the previous few years. Pearl couscous, to be particular, as a result of it’s so versatile, simple to cook dinner with, and is the right grain to make use of if you happen to’re craving each pasta and quinoa or rice.

So far I’ve added this gnocchi-like grain to my well-known rooster soup, plus cozy one pot meals, and even my newest meatball bowl recipe. This lovely curried chickpea couscous salad is my first chilly salad recipe utilizing it, and OMG I’m in love.

If you bear in mind this Moroccan-Inspired Chickpea Quinoa Salad that I first shared again in 2018 (the OG AK readers know), this couscous salad has an analogous taste profile that, for my part, will get much more scrumptious with the addition of couscous. Each chunk is bursting with candy and savory flavors you’ll crave. Meal prep it on your week or share it as a enjoyable, distinctive facet dish at your subsequent BBQ!

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Everything you’ll must make this curry couscous salad

This lovely curried chickpea couscous salad has a scrumptious number of flavors and textures because of a handful of enjoyable mix-ins and one of the best dressing. Here’s what you’ll must make it:

• Pearl couscous: I really like utilizing pearl couscous as the bottom for tons of my recipes as a result of the little gnocchi-like pearls get good and tender. You’ll cook dinner it in water with a bit salt.
• Chickpeas: a can of chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) provides a stunning increase of plant-based protein to the salad.
• Veggies & herbs: we’re tossing in purple bell pepper, shredded carrot, purple onion, and recent parsley and cilantro.
• Mix-ins: add a bit sweetness from Medjool dates or dried tart cherries, plus a scrumptious crunch out of your fav combination of nuts! I really like including toasted sliced almonds, roasted cashews, and roasted pistachios.
• Dressing: we’re utilizing my well-known curry tahini dressing, which is the right mix of candy and savory.

Can I make this salad gluten-free?

Yes, it’s really easy! Simply swap the pearl couscous for 8 ounces of gluten-free orzo or quinoa. Both shall be scrumptious.

Make this curried chickpea couscous salad your approach

There are just a few simple swaps I can suggest to customise this salad to your style preferences:

• Keep it nut free. Simply omit the nut combination, or toss in a seed combination like sunflower seeds.
• Pick your dried fruit. If you don’t have any dates or dried cherries readily available, be happy to make use of dried cranberries, raisins, or golden raisins!
• Boost the veggies. Feel free to get inventive right here! I feel recent finely chopped roasted cauliflower or just a few cups of finely chopped uncooked broccoli could be excellent.
• Add additional protein. Serve this salad with my Baked or Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken or my Honey Lemon Garlic Salmon for a full meal.

More dressing choices

Trust me after I say the curry tahini dressing is UNREAL and so scrumptious on this salad. But, if you happen to’re not a fan of curry flavors, you would strive my Thai-Inspired Peanut Dressing or my Sesame Ginger Dressing.

Vegan curried couscous salad in 3 easy steps

1. Cook the couscous. Start by cooking the couscous with water and salt in an analogous approach you’ll with rice. Once it’s cooked, switch it to a big sieve and rinse it with chilly water to chill it. Add it to a big bowl.
2. Add the mix-ins. Add the chickpeas, plus the greens, herbs, dried fruit, and nuts to the bowl with the couscous.
3. Toss within the dressing. Pour the dressing everywhere in the salad and toss till the whole lot is nicely coated. Taste and add salt and pepper as wanted, then take pleasure in!

Store it for later

This vegan curry chickpea couscous salad is ideal for meal prep as a result of it can keep good in an airtight glass container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. You may even retailer it in mason jars for fast on-the-go lunches!

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I hope you like this curried chickpea couscous salad! If you make it be sure you go away a remark and a score so I understand how you appreciated it. Enjoy, xo!

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Curried Chickpea Couscous Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

ServesServes 4 servings

Flavorful curried chickpea couscous salad crammed with recent herbs, crunchy nuts, and a bit sweetness from dried fruit. Toss all of it within the BEST creamy curry tahini dressing and benefit from the excellent plant-based lunch or facet dish that stays good for days! Options to make it a fuller meal with grilled rooster or salmon.

Ingredients

• Couscous:
• 1 ½ cups water
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup pearl couscous*
• For the salad:
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 massive carrot, shredded
• 1 purple bell pepper, diced
• ⅓ cup chopped recent parsley
• ⅓ cup chopped recent cilantro
• ¼ cup finely diced purple onion
• ½ cup chopped Medjool dates or dried tart cherries
• ⅔ cup mixture of toasted sliced almonds, roasted cashews and roasted pistachios (no matter combine of those nuts you have got readily available is nice!)
• Dressing:
• 1 batch curry tahini dressing
• Extra recent floor salt and pepper, to style

Instructions

• Prepare the couscous: In a medium pot, add the water and salt and produce to a boil. Immediately stir within the couscous and return to a boil. Reduce warmth to low, cowl, and cook dinner for 8 to 10 minutes till all the liquid is absorbed. Transfer to a big sieve and rinse the couscous with chilly water for about 1 minute, till couscous has cooled. Transfer to a big bowl.

• In the big bowl with the couscous, add within the chickpeas, shredded carrot, bell pepper, parsley, cilantro, onion, dates or cherries and mixture of nuts.

• Prepare the dressing, then pour over salad and use tongs or a big spoon to toss the salad with the dressing till nicely coated. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, as needed.

• To retailer: Store leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days.

Recipe Notes

Boost the veggies: This could be scrumptious with recent finely chopped roasted cauliflower or perhaps a few cups of finely chopped uncooked broccoli florets.
I recommend serving this with my honey mustard rooster or my honey lemon salmon for a full meal.
*To make gluten free: sub in 8 ounces of gluten free orzo for the pearl couscous. Quinoa would even be scrumptious!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (primarily based on 4)Calories: 417calProtein: 14.5gFat: 24.5gSaturated Fat: 2.4gFiber: 11.8gSugar: 16.8g