Description
Cranberry Couscous Salad is a fruity and nutty side dish featuring tender couscous soaked in a flavorful spiced broth, mixed with dried cranberries, toasted pecans, fresh green onions, and mint leaves. It's tossed in a tangy apple cider vinegar and honey dressing, making it a refreshing complement to pork, chicken, or turkey meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked couscous
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- One 15 ounce can chicken broth
- ½ cup pecan pieces
- ¼ cup chopped green onions (about 3 medium)
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Heat the broth and spices: In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken broth, dried cranberries, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, and ground cumin. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Cook the couscous: Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the couscous. Cover with a lid and let sit for 15 minutes, allowing the couscous to absorb the liquid and spices.
- Toast pecans: While couscous is cooking, spread pecan pieces on a small baking sheet and place under the broiler for 2 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning. Remove and set aside once toasted.
- Chill the couscous: Transfer the couscous to a serving bowl, fluffing with a fork to break up any clumps. Refrigerate the couscous until chilled, approximately 30 minutes.
- Prepare the dressing: Just before serving, whisk together vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, and honey in a small bowl until emulsified.
- Combine salad ingredients: Add toasted pecans, chopped green onions, and fresh mint leaves to the chilled couscous. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat all ingredients evenly.
Notes
- This salad pairs beautifully with pork, chicken, or turkey dishes.
- Watch the pecans carefully while broiling to avoid burning due to quick toasting times.
- To make this salad vegan, substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth and use maple syrup or agave instead of honey.
- For extra crunch, consider adding chopped celery or cucumber.
- Can be prepared a few hours ahead and chilled for enhanced flavor melding.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 231 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 222 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 1 mg
