Name: Moroccan Couscous Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 cups dry pearl couscous (Israeli); 2 15 oz cans chickpeas (drained and rinsed); 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley; 1 red pepper (diced); 1 cup English cucumber (diced); 1 cup sliced almonds; 1 cup raisins; 1/4 cup olive oil; zest of 1 lemon; 2 lemons (juiced); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp pepper

Indulge in flavor the healthy way with Moroccan Couscous Salad. Made with chickpeas, almonds, and veggies, it's a hearty meal filled with nutrients and flavor galore.

A Quick Look

Recipe Name: Moroccan Couscous Salad
Ready In: 30 minutes
Serves: 10 servings
Main Ingredients: dry pearl couscous, 15 oz cans chickpeas, chopped fresh parsley, red pepper, English cucumber, sliced almonds, raisins, Dressing
Why You'll Love It: Indulge in flavor the healthy way with Moroccan Couscous Salad. Made with chickpeas, almonds, and veggies, it's a hearty meal filled with nutrients and flavor galore.

A delicious, refreshing mix of chickpeas and couscous

I don't know about you, but I love a hearty salad. And when it comes to Moroccan couscous salad, it's hardly a salad at all! It's more a savory, grain-based dish packed with veggies that leave you feeling nice and full. Plus, it's healthy!

This chickpea salad is loaded up with couscous, green pepper, cucumber, almonds and more. It's topped with a zesty lemon dressing for a tangy twist that makes the dish complete!

Ingredients in this Moroccan couscous salad recipe

This Moroccan salad with couscous is made in two parts: the salad and a homemade olive oil-based dressing. Both parts contain lots of one thing... flavor!

Salad

Couscous: Start your salad with 2 cups of dry pearl Israeli couscous.
Chickpeas: Next, you'll need 2 15oz cans of chickpeas. Be sure to drain and rinse!
Parsley: As some yummy, herby flavor with ¾ cup of fresh chopped parsley.
Pepper: Next, add some nutrients and sweet flavor with 1 diced red bell pepper.
Cucumber: Do the same with 1 English cucumber.
Almonds: Next, 1 cup of sliced almonds changes this salad game by adding both crunch and flavor.
Raisins: And finally, finish off the salad portion of this recipe with 1 cup of raisins.

Dressing

Olive oil: Use ¼ cup of olive oil as the base of the couscous dressing.
Lemon zest: Next, add 1 lemon's worth of zest to achieve a distinct tangy taste in the dressing.
Lemons: Follow that with 2 lemon's worth of juice!
Garlic: Add delicious garlic flavor with 3 cloves, minced.
Seasonings: Do the same with 1 teaspoon each of salt and cumin, and finish things off with ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper.

Photo of ingredients for Moroccan Couscous Salad with labels.

Photo of ingredients for Moroccan Couscous Salad Dressing with labels.

Kitchen tools needed to make this recipe

To create this salad you will need a sauce pot for boiling the couscous. Then, you'll need a cutting board and chopping knife, large mixing bowl, spoon or spatula, small mixing bowl, and whisk!

For measuring ingredients, you will need the following sized cups: ½ tsp, 1 tsp, ¼ cup, ¾ cup, and 1 cup.

How to make Moroccan couscous salad

The photos make it seem fancy and complicated, but this dish is actually really easy to make. Just cook the couscous (which is made similarly to rice or quinoa), throw it on a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, and make the dressing!

To begin, cook the couscous according to the package directions. Once ready, let cool for at least 10 minutes.

Add the chickpeas, parsley, red pepper, cucumber, almonds, and raisins to a large bowl and stir to evenly combine.

Mix in the couscous.

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Once whisked, pour the dressing over the couscous.

Mix everything until well combined.

Substitution Tip

Need to switch out a few ingredients? Here are some easy swaps!

Red pepper: The red bell pepper can be replaced with green, yellow, orange, or a veggie listed below.
English cucumber: Likewise, you can use an American cucumber if you'd like!
Raisins: Finally, there is no direct swap for raisins, though you can use dried cranberries if preferred (or omit altogether)!

You can also add to your salad with carrots, zucchini, oranges, mint, or even figs!

How to store Moroccan couscous chickpea salad

Moroccan chickpea salad will stay fresh for up to one week. Keep it stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

If possible, store separate from the dressing to prevent sogginess. This method is ideal for meal prepping!

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Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa

If you tried this recipe or any other recipes on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Follow @erinliveswhole on Instagram and tag me in any of the recipes you make so I can repost them!

Erin Antoniak