Moroccan Couscous Salad with Chickpeas & Almonds

This Moroccan couscous salad is a whole meal in a bowl: fluffy couscous tossed with roasted vegetables, chickpeas, sweet dried fruit and toasted almonds, all warmed through with ras el hanout. Served warm or at room temperature, it's as good on a weeknight as it is on a party table.

Why you'll love this couscous

• A full meal — grains, veg, protein and crunch in one bowl.
• Ready in 30 minutes — couscous is the fastest “grain” there is.
• Vegan and crowd-pleasing — perfect for sharing.
• Even better next day — ideal for lunchboxes and meal prep.

About Moroccan couscous

Couscous — tiny steamed granules of semolina — is the heart of North African cooking, and in 2020 the shared couscous traditions of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Mauritania were recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. Traditionally it's hand-rolled and steamed for hours over a bubbling stew in a couscoussier.

This is a modern, weeknight take — a warm couscous salad rather than the classic steamed platter — but it keeps the flavours that make Moroccan food sing: ras el hanout (a fragrant blend whose name means “head of the shop,” the merchant's best spices), the sweet-savoury play of dried fruit against chickpeas, and a hit of fiery harissa. It's a brilliant introduction to the cuisine.

Ingredients you'll need

• Couscous — just add hot stock and fluff; no cooking required.
• Ras el hanout and cinnamon — the warm, fragrant spice base.
• Harissa — for gentle heat; use as much or little as you like.
• Chickpeas — for protein and substance.
• Dried fruit — dates, apricots or raisins from our dried fruit range.
• Slivered almonds and olive oil — crunch and richness.

How to make Moroccan couscous, step by step

1. Roast the vegetables. Toss pumpkin, carrot, zucchini or capsicum with olive oil, ras el hanout and cinnamon, and roast at 200°C for 25 minutes until tender and caramelised.
2. Soak the couscous. Pour hot stock (or water) over the couscous, cover, and leave 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir through a little olive oil.
3. Toast the almonds. Toast the slivered almonds in a dry pan until golden.
4. Combine. Fold the roasted veg, chickpeas, chopped dried fruit and almonds through the couscous. Stir a little harissa into extra olive oil and lemon juice and dress. Finish with fresh herbs.

Tips for the best couscous salad

• Use hot stock, not water, for the most flavour.
• Fluff with a fork and a little oil so the grains stay separate.
• Balance sweet and heat — the dried fruit and harissa are meant to play off each other.

Variations

Add preserved lemon, swap in pearl couscous for a chewier texture, stir through fresh mint and coriander, or add roast lamb or grilled halloumi to make it a heartier main.

Make ahead & storage

It keeps for 3 days in the fridge and is delicious cold, making it ideal for lunchboxes and picnics. Add the almonds and fresh herbs just before serving so they stay crunchy and bright.

What to serve it with

Serve alongside grilled meats, a tagine, or with hummus as part of a spread.

Couscous FAQ

Is couscous a grain? It's actually tiny pasta made from semolina, but it's used like a grain.

What is ras el hanout? A North African spice blend of up to a dozen spices — warm, floral and complex.

Can I make it gluten-free? Regular couscous is wheat; swap in cooked quinoa for a gluten-free version.

Can I serve it cold? Yes — it's excellent cold or at room temperature.

Shop the ingredients

Find couscous, ras el hanout, harissa, dried fruit and nuts and more — in Artarmon or delivered Australia-wide.

Hero photo by gatos.rojos (CC BY 2.0) via Wikimedia Commons.