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This Pumpkin Couscous Salad is a hearty fall facet dish that tosses roasted pumpkin, crunchy chickpeas, fluffy couscous, and arugula with a zesty lemon French dressing. Vegan, Gluten-Free Choice.
This Roasted Pumpkin and Couscous Salad is my good fall salad. With roasted pumpkin, crunchy chickpeas, bouncy couscous, and recent greens tossed in a candy and tangy lemon French dressing, there are heat and comfy fall flavors in each chew. It’s a wholesome facet dish or lunch you may take pleasure in all through the season!Â
Desk of Contents
The Final Vegan Fall Salad
Chilly and gloomy climate requires heat and hearty salads, like this Vegan Pumpkin Couscous Salad. Similar to my Roasted Butternut Squash Salad, it’s bursting with layers of comforting fall flavors due to heat roasted pumpkin, crunchy roasted chickpeas, and crisp greens tossed with gentle and fluffy couscous and a lemon French dressing.
Couscous is one among my favourite salad add-ins not solely as a result of I really like the sunshine and bouncy textures, but additionally as a result of it’s prepared in solely minutes and it bulks up each chew, serving to this seasonal dish final even longer. The leftovers solely get higher all through the week, making it an ideal possibility for wholesome lunches, or you can also make it recent on your weeknight or vacation dinners. The seasonal flavors are so recent and comforting that your family and friends will shortly be asking for seconds!
Components for this Roasted Pumpkin Salad
Just a few seasonal elements and on a regular basis staples are remodeled into the final word fall salad on this recipe:
- Contemporary Pumpkin: you want a small to medium-sized pie pumpkin (AKA a sugar pumpkin) for this recipe. Save the massive carving pumpkin for the jack-o-lantern—they aren’t meant to be eaten as a result of their flavors aren’t as candy or vibrant. You can too swap the pumpkin for an additional squash like delicata or butternut squash
- Couscous: fluffy couscous is simple to prepare dinner and makes this salad really feel gentle but heat and satisfying. You need to use small (Moroccan), medium, or giant (pearl or Israeli) couscous relying on the feel you want greatest (the bigger the couscous, the extra hearty and chewy it is going to be).
- Chickpeas: canned chickpeas are tossed with savory seasonings and roasted alongside the pumpkin, giving every chew some protein and crunch.
- Lemon French dressing: the nice and cozy roasted veggies and leafy greens are tossed in a easy dressing constructed from lemon juice, oil, grade A maple syrup, Dijon, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Arugula: this was my leafy inexperienced of selection however in case you don’t just like the peppery flavors, be happy to swap the arugula for combined salad greens or recent child spinach.
How you can Make a Pumpkin Couscous Salad
- Toss the chickpeas with the garlic powder, salt, pepper, and olive oil, then dump them on a baking sheet. Add the pumpkin items to the empty bowl, toss with the coriander, cayenne, maple syrup, salt, pepper, and oil, then lay the items on a second baking sheet. Roast the chickpeas and pumpkin.
- In the meantime, add the couscous, paprika, and salt to a big bowl. Pour boiling water over the couscous, combine properly, and cowl. Fluff the cooked couscous, then set it apart.
- Add the oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper to a small jar, seal with a lid, and shake till it’s emulsified. Put aside.
- Switch the cooked couscous to a big salad bowl together with the arugula, roasted pumpkin, roasted chickpeas, parsley, pumpkin seeds, and parmesan. Pour the dressing over high and toss properly to coat.
- Serve the nice and cozy couscous salad instantly along with your favourite fall mains.
Caitlin’s Cooking Ideas
- Roast the pumpkin and chickpeas on the highest oven rack: The excessive warmth circulating on the high of your oven will give the pumpkin cubes gorgeously golden and crispy caramelized edges and can crisp the chickpeas to perfection.
- Rigorously measure the water when cooking couscous: Cooking 1 cup of couscous in 1 1/4 cups of water will provide you with completely fluffy and tender outcomes. Should you add extra water, the couscous will likely be sticky or soggy. Should you scale back the water, the couscous might develop into dry. When doubtful, verify the package deal directions earlier than you begin cooking!
Serving Recommendations
This couscous and pumpkin salad suits in at any Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. I like to recommend pairing it with basic vegan vacation principal dishes, like this Tofu Turkey, this Lentil Loaf, this Basic Vegan Stuffing, or any of those Vegan and Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes. Its heat and comforting flavors will shortly make it a staple vacation facet dish, similar to this Rosemary Candy Potato Gratin and this Wholesome Inexperienced Bean Casserole!
Outdoors of the vacations, this salad is nice alongside your entire favourite cozy weeknight dinners. Toss it collectively whereas this Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce is simmering on the range, then serve the 2 collectively for a warming meal.
Final however not least, you may as well take pleasure in this heat pumpkin salad for meal prep. It’s hearty and filling by itself however you may all the time high it with my Smoky Marinated Tofu or my Smoky Tempeh to stretch it somewhat additional. Or, in case you’re actually pumpkin obsessed, take pleasure in a slice of this Vegan Pumpkin Bread for dessert. Moreover, life’s all about stability!
Should you’re searching for extra hearty fall salads, you’ll additionally love this Lentil Pomegranate Salad with Cider Dressing and this Fall Farro Salad with Butternut Squash & Brussels Sprouts!
Or, in case you’re searching for extra couscous salad recipes, you’ll additionally love this White Bean Carrot Couscous Salad, this Curry Couscous Chickpea Salad, and this Black Bean Couscous Salad!
How you can Retailer Leftover Pumpkin Salad
As soon as assembled, this salad will hold for as much as 5 days within the fridge. Retailer it in an hermetic container to maintain the greens and couscous tender and recent.
Planning on having fun with the leftover salad for meal prep? I like to recommend storing the roasted chickpeas individually in a ziplock bag at room temperature to maintain them crispy. Add them to the salad proper earlier than serving.Â
Substitutions and Variations
- Pumpkin Substitute: The pumpkin might be changed with equal elements diced butternut, delicata, or kabocha squash.
- Gluten-Free Choice: Exchange the couscous with an equal quantity of quinoa in case you want this salad to be gluten-free.
- Vegetable Add-in Concepts: Toss this salad with recent sliced cherry tomatoes or roasted carrots, beets, and/or brussels sprouts for extra bulk. Â
- Topping Choices: You possibly can high this salad with plain pecans or my Roasted Rosemary Pecans, chopped hazelnuts, dried cranberries, crumbled vegan feta cheese, or crispy fried sage leaves as a substitute of or along with the opposite toppings.
Recipe FAQs
Personally, I wish to peel the pumpkin pores and skin, however you may depart it on in case you’d like an additional enhance of fiber.
Couscous is a sort of pasta constructed from semolina flour, which means it isn’t gluten-free. Exchange the couscous with quinoa for a gluten-free possibility.
Make this salad with an equal quantity of cooked quinoa, farro, brown rice, or orzo in case you’d like.
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 like it in case you might depart a remark under with a recipe ranking! Thanks for the help 😊
For the Roasted Components:
For the Salad:
- 4 ounces recent arugula or sub combined salad greens or chopped recent spinach
- 1/2 cup chopped recent parsley
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup shaved parmesan cheese* I used dairy-free (non-compulsory)
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Prep: Preheat the oven to 420 F and set two smaller baking sheets (or one very giant sheet) apart. Place the drained chickpeas on a clear kitchen towel and pat dry.
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Season: Add the chickpeas to a medium bowl together with 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper to style, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Combine properly, then switch to 1 half of the baking sheet (or half of a giant one). Add the pumpkin to the blending bowl and season with coriander, cayenne, maple syrup, salt and pepper to style, and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Switch to the opposite baking sheet.
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Roast: Roast on the highest rack of the oven for 25 to half-hour, flipping each the candy potatoes and chickpeas after quarter-hour of prepare dinner time. In case your baking sheets don’t match collectively on one rack of the oven, begin with the pumpkin on the highest and chickpeas on the center rack, then flip the trays midway via baking.
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Cook dinner the Couscous: Whereas the pumpkin roasts, add the couscous to a big bowl and whisk along with the paprika and a beneficiant pinch of salt. Deliver the water to a boil on the stovetop or in an electrical kettle. Pour the water over the cous cous; combine properly, then cowl with a plate or lid and let sit for 7 minutes. Fluff with a fork and put aside. (Be aware: if you’re warming the water on the stovetop, you may take away it from the warmth and add the couscous on to the pot)
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Make the Dressing: Add the oil to a small jar together with the lemon juice, maple syrup, mustard, garlic, salt and black pepper to style. Seal the jar and shake properly till emulsified; put aside.
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Mix: Add the cooked couscous to a big bowl together with the arugula, roasted pumpkin, roasted chickpeas, parsley, pumpkin seeds, and parmesan (if utilizing). Pour the dressing over the salad and toss properly till every thing is mixed.
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Serve & Retailer: Take pleasure in instantly; leftovers will hold within the fridge for as much as 5 days. If you’re planning to have leftovers, I like to recommend omitting the chickpeas from step 6 and including them to every plate simply earlier than serving, so that they keep crispy; retailer in a separate container within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
- Pumpkin: Pumpkin might be changed with equal elements diced butternut, delicata, or kabocha squash. I wish to peel the pores and skin off of my pumpkin, however you may as well hold the squash pores and skin on for an additional enhance of fiber.
- Gluten-Free: Exchange the couscous with equal elements quinoa and hold the quantity of smoked paprika the identical. Rinse the quinoa and add to a pot with the paprika, and salt. Cook dinner in accordance with the package deal directions. Fluff with a fork and put aside to let cool earlier than combining with the remaining salad elements in step 7.
Energy: 690kcalCarbohydrates: 92gProtein: 25gFats: 27gSaturated Fats: 5gPolyunsaturated Fats: 5gMonounsaturated Fats: 15gTrans Fats: 0.003gLdl cholesterol: 6mgSodium: 1068mgPotassium: 1772mgFiber: 15gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 30585IUVitamin C: 46mgCalcium: 329mgIron: 8mg
