Fall Couscous Salad

4.85 from 19 votes
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Fall Couscous Salad – Israeli couscous, spinach, butternut squash. cranberries and pecans all tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette. Great fall salad for the holidays, potlucks, or just because.

I love squash season. As soon as fall hits, and squash is available in the store, I start to stock up. My family usually likes butternut squash that is baked until soft and then mashed. Mix in a little butter and salt and pepper, and it is a vegetable my entire family likes.

But I am always looking for new ways to use it. I love it roasted and slightly crispy  around the edges. It makes a great substitute for roasted potatoes as a side dish.

A bowl of salad

 

My friend Lynne is kind of famous for her couscous chicken salad. Arugula, chicken, couscous, bell peppers, and feta all tossed together makes for one tasty salad. But I wanted to come up with my own version that didn’t have meat and was a fall salad recipe. Mixing up salads for Thanksgiving and the holidays is always a good idea. This Apple Broccoli Salad is definitely happening this year.

This summer my mom and I went to lunch, and I ordered a salad that had greens and quinoa. I love the mix of the crunchy greens with the grains, so I was excited to put together my fall version.

Fall Couscous salad - israeli couscous salad with butternut squash, spinach, cranberries and pecans!

So let’s go thru the basics:

  1. Couscous. This is an Israeli couscous salad. So you will need the big pearl couscous. Cook it according to the package directions, and let it cool.
  2. Roast butternut squash until tender and browned. Let cool completely.
  3. Use whatever nuts you like. Almonds and pecans both pair well.
  4. Add cheese. I did not use cheese in my salad, but feta would be a great addition if you wanted to add it.
  5. Do not add the dressing to the salad until you are ready to serve.

 

A bowl of food on a table

The key to making this salad work is cooking the couscous and the squash ahead of time and letting them cool. If they are not, they will start to wilt the spinach and that would be a completely different salad.  They don’t need to be cold, just not hot when it comes time to toss the salad together.

This Israeli couscous salad is the perfect fall salad recipe for all your party needs. You can use a store bought or homemade balsamic glaze on the top to make it extra special. Or just toss with the balsamic dressing recipe below and you will have a special salad all of your guests will approve of.

A bowl of salad

Fall Couscous Salad - Israeli couscous, spinach, butternut squash. cranberries and pecans all tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette. Great fall salad for the holidays, potlucks, or just because.
4.85 from 19 votes

Fall Couscous Salad

By Erin
Fall Couscous Salad - Israeli couscous, spinach, butternut squash. cranberries and pecans all tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette. Great fall salad for the holidays, potlucks, or just because.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

Balsamic Dressing

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.ย 
  • Toss cubed butternut squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes until tender and turning golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely.ย 
  • Cook couscous according to package directions.ย  Cool completely.ย 
  • In a large bowl mix together spinach, couscous, squash, cranberries, onions, and pecans until well combined.ย 
  • In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the dressing until well combined.ย ย 
  • Pour dressing over the salad when ready to serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Sodium: 138mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Erin
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Course: Salad Recipes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 266
Keyword: Couscous Salad
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About Erin S

Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and Iโ€™m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, youโ€™ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

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9 Comments

  1. OH. MY. GOSH!! These are like ALL of my favorites rolled into one! I can’t tell you how giddy I am with excitement and will most definitely be making this for lunch this week! I’m thinking it’s going to be great with some of that leftover turkey we’re going to have on Thursday.
    Thank you, Erin for sharing my salad as well!