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This Moroccan-inspired White Bean Carrot Couscous Salad is a straightforward lunch made with thrilling North African flavors, hearty beans, and fluffy couscous. Vegan. Gluten-Free and Nut-Free Choices.
This White Bean and Carrot Couscous Salad options delicate and creamy white beans, carrots, nuts, and fluffy couscous tossed in a vibrant Moroccan-inspired dressing. It’s an thrilling lunch or facet dish that’s prepared in 20 minutes!
Desk of Contents
Couscous Salad with North African-Impressed Flavors
As a lot as I like whipping up a traditional quinoa salad for summer season meals, getting inventive within the kitchen with extra flavor-forward combos is a lot extra enjoyable. So, after rapidly falling for couscous in my Curry Couscous Chickpea Salad recipe, I knew this hearty pasta could be the right base for extra of my summer season salads, like this White Bean Carrot Couscous Salad.
There’s no scarcity of thrilling, North African-inspired flavors on this nourishing couscous salad. Spicy-ish harissa paste, contemporary lemon juice, and smoked paprika rework the dressing right into a flavor-packed powerhouse, whereas couscous, a staple in Moroccan cooking, is a light-weight and fluffy base. And the carrots, white beans, and pine nuts? They create enjoyable textures to each chew!
What’s higher is that this salad doesn’t get soggy or dry out within the fridge, so it’s good for a fast, wholesome, and straightforward make-ahead lunch to get pleasure from all through the week.
Elements for White Bean Carrot Couscous Salad
Pantry staples and a handful of contemporary greens, herbs, and spices come collectively on this simple salad.
- Couscous: This quick-cooking small pasta feels mild and fluffy on this bean and vegetable salad. It’s additionally a staple in North African cooking, which helps it match proper in with the opposite vibrant flavors and substances!
- Carrots: Both shred the carrots your self or purchase pre-shredded carrots to avoid wasting time.
- Cannellini beans: Canned cannellini beans are delicate, creamy, and loaded with plant-based protein. Should you can’t discover cannellini beans, you should utilize Nice Northern beans, Navy beans, black-eyed peas, or lima beans as a substitute.
- Pine nuts: Tremendous buttery and nutty, pine nuts make this salad really feel very elegant! The one downfall is their price ticket, so be happy to make use of slivered almonds as a extra budget-friendly various.
- Parsley: It provides a beautiful contemporary taste and a pop of inexperienced to the salad. Attempt to persist with contemporary flat-leaf parsley for probably the most refreshing taste.
- Lemon juice and zest: Go for freshly squeezed lemon juice for the freshest, tangiest taste.
- Harissa paste: Harissa is a Moroccan sizzling chili pepper paste with a spicy, smoky taste. Be at liberty to substitute this with sambal oelek, sriracha, or gochujang paste for the same taste.
- Smoked paprika: It provides a smoky depth that may’t be beat! You should utilize common paprika in the event you can’t discover smoked paprika.
Find out how to Make a Moroccan-Impressed Couscous Salad
- Boil the water, then pour it over high of the couscous in a big bowl. Stir properly, cowl the bowl with a lid, and let it sit. Fluff the couscous when it has absorbed the water.
- Shred the carrots in a meals processor till finely chopped.
- Add the dressing substances to a glass jar, seal with a lid, and shake to mix.
- Add the beans, shredded carrots, purple onion, parsley, and pine nuts to the bowl with the couscous. Pour the dressing over high and toss to coat.
- Serve the salad straight away or retailer it within the fridge for later.
Caitlin’s Cooking Ideas
- Measure the water rigorously: The perfect couscous is mild, ethereal, and fluffy. To attain this good texture, you should measure the water rigorously and use the precise quantity listed on the recipe card (1 ¼ cups).
- Toast the pine nuts: By toasting the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium warmth till golden brown, you’ll draw out their pure oils to make them 10 occasions as aromatic and flavorful!
- Finely shred the carrots: I extremely suggest shredding the carrots in a meals processor as a substitute of by hand. Use the S-blade attachment, then course of till the carrots are finely chopped (it’ll solely take about 30 to 45 seconds). Watch out to not overprocess them right into a pulp.
Serving Ideas
The bouncy couscous, protein-rich beans, contemporary veggies, and toasted nuts on this couscous salad make it a wholesome and filling meal prep possibility. Be at liberty to pair it with this Crispy Tofu to fulfill heartier appetites.
Or, serve it as a protein-dense facet dish subsequent to those Rainbow Veggie Hummus Sandwiches or this Vegan Eggplant Reuben Sandwich for a well-balanced lunch or mild dinner.
Should you’re on the lookout for extra bean salad recipes, you’ll additionally love this Dilly White Bean and Cucumber Salad and this Straightforward Tex Mex Black Bean Salad!
Find out how to Retailer Couscous Salad
Retailer any leftover salad in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. I like to recommend conserving the person servings in separate containers or jars in the event you plan on having fun with them for lunches throughout the week.
I personally love this salad when it’s served at room temperature, nevertheless it’s simply as tasty after it’s been chilling within the fridge.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-Free Possibility: Substitute the couscous with quinoa to make this salad gluten-free. Prepare dinner the quinoa in line with bundle instructions.
- Nut-Free Possibility: Pumpkin seeds are a terrific substitute for the pine nuts right here.
- Add Dried Fruit: Be at liberty to stir in a handful of raisins, currants, and/or dried apricots for a tangy pop of taste that goes properly with the opposite Moroccan flavors.
Recipe FAQs
I like utilizing fine-textured couscous in salads as a result of it doesn’t take lengthy to soak. You may go for bigger couscous shapes as a substitute (like pearl or Israeli couscous), however they may take longer to cook dinner (at all times comply with the bundle directions).
Sure, however you’ll have to soak the white beans in a single day and boil them in contemporary water till they’re delicate the following day.
No, couscous is a kind of pasta created from semolina flour, so it’s not inherently gluten-free. Quinoa or gluten-free couscous will work properly instead right here.
Take pleasure in! Should you make this recipe and determine to share it on Fb or Instagram, don’t neglect to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I’d additionally find it irresistible in the event you might depart a remark under with a recipe score! Thanks for the help 😊
- 1 cup dry couscous
- 1 1/4 cups water
- kosher salt to style
- 4-5 carrots
- 30 ounces cannellini beans drained and rinsed (2 cans)
- 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
- 1/4 purple onion high-quality cube
- 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts*
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Prepare dinner the Couscous: Convey the water to a boil on the stovetop or in an electrical kettle. Add the couscous to a big bowl with a pinch of salt and pour the boiling water over it; combine properly, then cowl with a plate or lid and let sit for 7 minutes. Fluff with a fork and put aside. (Observe: if you’re warming the water on the stovetop, you possibly can take away it from the warmth and add the couscous on to the pot)
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Vegetable Prep: Peel the carrots and trim the ends. Chop the carrots into 2-3” items and add to a meals processor with an S-blade attachment. Course of till finely chopped, 30 to 45 seconds. (Observe: You may decide to finely cube the carrots as properly, however this methodology is quicker)
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Make the Dressing: Add the oil to a small jar together with the lemon zest, lemon juice, harissa, garlic, smoked paprika, and salt. Seal the jar and shake properly till emulsified; put aside.
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Mix: Add the beans, carrot, purple onion, parsley, and pine nuts to the bowl with the couscous. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss properly till every little thing is mixed.
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Serve & Retailer: Take pleasure in instantly; if making for meal prep, switch the salad into particular person mason jars and retailer within the fridge. Leftovers will maintain within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
- Gluten-Free: Couscous will not be gluten-free, however you can also make this salad with cooked quinoa as a substitute! Prepare dinner 1 cup of dry quinoa in line with bundle instructions and proceed with the remainder of the recipe as written.
- Toasted Pine Nuts: Heat a pan over medium warmth and add the pine nuts; stir incessantly till they’re aromatic and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Take away from the warmth and put aside. It’s also possible to swap the pine nuts for slivered almonds, or use pumpkin seeds you probably have a nut allergy!
- Harissa: Harissa is a Moroccan sizzling chili pepper paste with a spicy, smoky taste. Should you can’t discover harissa you possibly can substitute it with Sambal Olek or Sriracha, or Gochujang for the same taste.
Energy: 581kcalCarbohydrates: 75gProtein: 20gFats: 26gSaturated Fats: 3gPolyunsaturated Fats: 7gMonounsaturated Fats: 13gSodium: 833mgPotassium: 397mgFiber: 15gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 10346IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 167mgIron: 6mg
