Warm Couscous Salad with Apricot Vinaigrette
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A savory and sweet couscous salad with scallions, sliced almonds and a fruity apricot vinaigrette.
I love Moroccan food, especially the blending of savory and sweet, which is the idea behind this delicious salad. Made with couscous, scallions, fresh herbs, crunchy almonds, and a tangy-sweet apricot vinaigrette, it’s the perfect side dish for summer. By that I mean it’s wonderfully light, takes mere minutes to make, travels well to a picnic or BBQ, and can be served warm or room temperature. I recommend serving it with my Grilled Moroccan Chicken but it would be good with just about any chicken, pork or lamb dish.
Table of Contents
“Winner! Fast, easy, delicious, and pretty! New favorite! Thank you!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Warm Couscous Salad With Apricot Vinaigrette
- Low Sodium Chicken or Vegetable Broth: Adds depth of flavor to the couscous.
- Butter: Enhances the couscous’s richness and moisture.
- Couscous: Serves as the hearty base of the salad. Most people think of couscous as a grain, but it’s actually a form of pasta made from semolina flour.
- Apricot Preserves: Provides a sweet and tangy element to the vinaigrette.
- Olive Oil: Adds richness and smoothness to the dressing.
- White Wine Vinegar: Adds acidity to balance the sweetness of the apricot preserves.
- Scallions: Adds a mild onion flavor and freshness.
- Fresh Chopped Parsley or Mint: Adds a burst of fresh, herbal notes. This is optional but I love the pop of color and flavor it adds.
- Sliced Almonds: Adds crunch and a nutty flavor to the salad.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Bring the broth, butter, and ¼ teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium pot.
Add the couscous and stir. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and remove from the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes, then fluff the couscous immediately with a fork so it doesn’t clump together.
In a small bowl, whisk together the apricot preserves, olive oil, vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of fresh black pepper.
Add about three-quarters of the vinaigrette to the couscous.
Stir to combine. Taste and add the remaining vinaigrette, little by little, if necessary (you may not need it all). Be sure to add all the little chunks of apricot from the vinaigrette, as they tend to settle at the bottom of the bowl (just use a fork to fish them out).
Stir in the scallions, herbs, and sliced almonds. Taste and adjust seasoning (I usually add a good bit of salt).
Serve warm or at room temperature.
This recipe was adapted and modified from Real Simple magazine.
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Warm Couscous Salad with Apricot Vinaigrette
A savory and sweet couscous salad with scallions, sliced almonds and a fruity apricot vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, best quality such as Swanson
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Salt
- 1 10-ounce box couscous (1½ cups)
- 6 tablespoons apricot preserves, best quality such as Bonne Maman
- 4½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley or mint (optional)
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Bring the broth, butter, and ¼ teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium pot. Add the couscous and stir. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and remove from the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes, then fluff the couscous immediately with a fork so it doesn't clump together.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the apricot preserves, olive oil, vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Add about three-quarters of the vinaigrette to the couscous and stir to combine. Taste and add the remaining vinaigrette, little by little, if necessary (you may not need it all). Be sure to add all the little chunks of apricot from the vinaigrette, as they tend to settle at the bottom of the bowl (just use a fork to fish them out). Stir in the scallions, herbs, and sliced almonds. Taste and adjust seasoning (I usually add a good bit of salt) and serve warm or at room temperature.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The salad can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator; add the almonds right before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 375
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Sugar: 9g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 9g
- Sodium: 227mg
- Cholesterol: 5mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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What would you recommend subbing for the almonds that is something nice and crunchy but suitable for anaphylactic persons who can’t have tree nuts?
Hi Beryl, you could substitute sunflower seeds – they’ll provide a nice crunch. Hope you enjoy!
I am gluten intolerant & dairy-free, so I made this with 1.5 cups dry quinoa & 3 cups homemade chicken broth, and mikonos vegan butter. Otherwise prepared as written, with parsley. It was superb!! The apricot vinaigrette is on point, and the dish only improved after sitting 30 minutes at room temperature, allowing the scallions to blend & mellow. Served alongside the equally excellent Moroccan grilled chicken, it was a massive hit with the whole family including a baby and very picky toddler. I’ll absolutely be making this again soon! Everyone was raving about it.
So very good! Wonderful with your Moroccan chicken. Thank you!
Really yummy!
I wanted to try this recipe, but my hubby was not in the mood for couscous. So instead, I made the apricot “sauce” and combined it with cooked, unsalted navy beans. I used fresh mint, and as another reviewer commented, added diced dried apricots. Put it in the fridge for a couple hours and served it cold (alongside Moroccan Grilled Chicken). Wow – it was so good. And easy to make. And since I had leftover fresh mint, I “had” to use it up in a Mint, Honey & Lemon juice salad dressing for a side salad to go along with my dinner. Life is good !!
Delicious! I followed the recipe, using parsley instead of mint and pignolias instead of almonds. I also added some diced dried apricots.
This was absolutely delicious served with the Moroccan Grilled Chicken! Definitely a keeper.
almonds, toasted or raw
Either is fine — enjoy!
Hi Jenn, I’ve made this before for a party and it was a hit! I’d like to make this at home, but we have one who’s celiac and one who’s allergic to quinoa. Would white rice work here? Jasmine or Basmati?
Hi Tara, so glad you like this! This recipe calls for couscous which does have wheat, but quinoa is wheat free if you’d like to use that. If not, either jasmine or basmati rice would work as well.
I accidentally grabbed orange marmalade instead of apricot. Still ok to use?
Sure, Carolyn, that’s fine. Enjoy!
I’ve made this several times and love it!
Have you ever made it with vegetable bouillon and if so how did you feel about change? Do you think it would be as tasty as using chicken bouillon?
I’d like to bring it to a potluck and a couple of people attending are vegetarians.
Thanks for all of your fantastic recipes.
Hi Barlee, Glad you like it! I haven’t made it with veggie broth, but it should be just as tasty with it. 🙂