This pumpkin couscous salad with maple cider dressing combines roasted pumpkin, pearl couscous, and dried cranberries for a fresh, fall-inspired side dish.
Cool-weather salads don't have to rely solely on greens. This dish combines roasted pumpkin, chewy pearl couscous, dried cranberries, and a maple-cider vinaigrette for the perfect blend of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors. It's quick enough for a weekday but nice enough to pass for a holiday side.
I like the balance of cozy fall ingredients and freshness thanks to parsley and a bright dressing. It's kind of salad that's just as good warm for dinner as it is straight from the fridge for lunch the next day. Use it as a base for a protein, or bulk it up by adding cheese, pickled onions, massaged kale leaves, and some chopped apple or pear.
😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Uses up leftover roasted pumpkin or squash.
- It's a great fall side dish and salad.
- Ready in minutes.
When fall hits, I'm all in on winter squash and pumpkin. Check out my other recipes for Chicken and Squash Curry, Pumpkin and Sage Risotto, and Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce.
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🎃 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this pumpkin couscous recipe.
Key Ingredients
- Roasted pumpkin: This dish utilizes roasted pumpkin that you've already roasted. It's a good way to use leftovers. If you would like instructions on how to roast pumpkin for use in this salad and numerous other recipes, check out my Maple Roasted Pumpkin recipe.
- Pearl couscous: Look for the variety of couscous labeled as Israeli or pearl couscous. As the name implies, these resemble small, pearl- or bead-shaped balls. I don't reccomend the small, grain-like couscous for this recipe.
- Dried cranberries: Add bright and tangy bites to the salad.
- Pumpkin seeds: You want pumpkin seeds without the shells, commonly referred to as pepitas.
- Maple syrup and apple cider vinegar: Create the base for the sweet and tangy apple-flavored vinaigrette. You always want to use real maple syrup, of course.
Check out the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
🧀 Substitutions & Variations
- Add cheese: Crumbled feta or goat cheese would be a great addition.
- Butternut squash or sweet potato: Instead of pumpkin, you could roasted and cubed butternut squash or sweet potato.
- More herbs: Toss in chopped mint, basil, or dill (or any combination of these herbs) along with the parsley.
- Red onion: I don't enjoy raw onion in my salads, but some pickled red onion on top would be a delicious addition.
🔪 How to make pumpkin couscous salad
- Step 1: Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add the couscous and cook according to the package directions, about 8-10 minutes.
- Step 2: Drain any remaining water from the couscous and fluff with a fork.
- Step 3: Add the pepitas to a small pan and toast over low heat until lightly browned and fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.
- Step 4: Whisk the vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, salt, pepper, and oil until combined.
- Step 5: Add the roasted pumpkin cubes to a large bowl with the couscous.
- Step 6: Add the dried cranberries and most of the parsley and pepitas, saving some for garnishing. Pour in the dressing.
- Step 7: Toss well to combine.
- Step 8: Garnish with remaining parsley and pepitas. Serve warm or at room temperature.
✨ Notes from the kitchen
- Use pearl couscous, also known as Israeli couscous, in this recipe. It's a larger, bead sized kind that will hold up well in the salad.
- I don't include cooking the pumpkin as part of the recipe here. However, you can reference how to do so in my Roasted Maple Pumpkin recipe. This salad is a great way to use leftover cooked squash.
- This is an easy dish to prep a day or two ahead. Just bring it to room temperature or briefly warm it to remove the chill, so that the cold doesn't mute the flavors.
🥡 Storage
Store salad leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Enjoy cold, or you may briefly reheat. I don't recommend freezing this dish.
🙋🏻♂️ FAQ
Make couscous tasty by cooking it with broth for extra flavor. Then, include it in recipes that add flavor and texture, such as salads like this one. Tossed with vegetables and a dressing will make your couscous extra flavorful. You can also use it as a base for serving roasts or stews.
There are three main types of couscous. Moroccan couscous is the smallest one with a grain like texture. Pearl or Israeli couscous is the pearl or bead-looking variety that's soft and chewy. And third is Lebanese couscous, which are even larger pearls commonly used for a stew. Although they seem like they may be a type of grain, all three types of couscous are essentially a pasta made with semolina flour and you cook them similarly to pasta.
There are many types of pumpkin you can use here. Sugar pumpkins are always a good choice, but jack-o-lantern pumpkins are not. Here's an overview of pumpkin varieties for cooking.
🍸 Pairing
These are my favorite recipes to serve with pumpkin salad:
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Couscous Salad
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 as a side 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This easy pumpkin couscous salad with maple cider dressing combines roasted pumpkin, pearl couscous, and dried cranberries for a fresh, fall-inspired side dish.
Ingredients
For the salad
- 2 cups cubed roasted pumpkin (from Maple Roasted Pumpkin)
- 1 ½ cups pearl couscous
- 2 ½ cups water or broth
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the maple-cider dressing
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the couscous. Bring the water and ¼ teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the pearl couscous, reduce the heat to low, and simmer 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Drain any excess water and let cool slightly.
- Toast the pumpkin seeds. Add the pumpkin seeds to a small pan over low heat. Toss occasionally and cook for about 5 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined.
- Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the warm couscous, roasted pumpkin, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and parsley. Pour the dressing over and toss gently to coat.
- Season and serve. Taste and adjust seasoning with extra salt or vinegar as needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Use pearl couscous, also known as Israeli couscous, in this recipe. It's a larger, bead sized kind that will hold up well in the salad.
I don't include cooking the pumpkin as part of the recipe here. However, you can reference how to do so in my Roasted Maple Pumpkin recipe. This salad is a great way to use leftover cooked squash.
This is an easy dish to prep a day or two ahead. Just bring it to room temperature or briefly warm it to remove the chill, so that the cold doesn't mute the flavors.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salads
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American
🍴 Related Recipes
Looking for other winter squash recipes like this one? Try these next:
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