Description
This vibrant Moroccan-Spiced Chickpea and Carrot Couscous Salad is a flavorful and nutritious dish combining fluffy couscous with tender chickpeas, sweet carrots, tangy raisins, and fresh parsley. Tossed in a fragrant spice dressing featuring cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and ginger, it’s perfect as a light lunch or a delightful side for dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1/2 cup couscous
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 carrots, grated
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Dressing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Couscous: In a saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Remove it from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan and let it sit for 5 minutes to absorb the liquid, then fluff the couscous gently with a fork to separate the grains.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, mix the fluffed couscous with the grated carrots, rinsed chickpeas, finely chopped red onion, raisins, and fresh parsley until evenly distributed.
- Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, salt, and pepper until well combined and aromatic.
- Toss the Salad: Pour the spiced dressing over the couscous mixture and gently toss everything together ensuring all ingredients are nicely coated with the dressing.
- Rest and Serve: Let the salad rest for about 10 minutes at room temperature to allow the flavors to meld beautifully before serving.
Notes
- You can prepare this salad a few hours ahead; flavors improve with resting time.
- For added texture, consider toasting some slivered almonds or pine nuts and mixing them in before serving.
- Use gluten-free couscous or quinoa for a gluten-free version.
- Adjust spices to taste for more heat or sweetness.
