Fall Pearl Couscous Salad
Toasted pearl couscous with roasted butternut squash, massaged lacinato kale, dried cranberries, red onion, and pecans in a maple-cider dressing.
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Saucepan with a lid
- Large mixing bowl
- Skillet
Ingredients
For the squash
- 3 cups butternut squash cubes about 1/2 medium squash, 3/4-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper
For the couscous
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 cup pearl couscous Israeli couscous
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the maple-cider dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper
For the salad
- 1 bunch lacinato kale stems stripped, leaves sliced, about 5 cups
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup pecan halves
Optional add-ins
- 1/2 cup feta crumbled
- 1 can chickpeas 15 oz, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for the chickpeas
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt for the chickpeas
- 8 oz firm tofu pressed and cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for the tofu
Instructions
Roast the squash
- Heat the oven to 425F (220C). Line a sheet pan with parchment.
- Toss the squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Spread in one layer.
- Roast 25 minutes, until the edges are browned and a cube mashes when pressed. Stir once halfway.
Cook the couscous
- While the squash roasts, warm 1 teaspoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium. Add the pearl couscous and stir 2 minutes, until it smells nutty.
- Add 1 1/4 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 10 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the pearls are tender with a little bite.
- Spread on a plate and cool 10 minutes. Hot couscous wilts the kale.
Dress the kale
- Whisk the olive oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, orange juice, Dijon, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add the kale and a pinch of salt. Rub the leaves with your hands for 1 minute, until they darken and feel silky, not leathery.
- Put the sliced red onion in a small bowl of cold water for 10 minutes if you want it milder. Drain well.
Toast the pecans
- Warm a dry skillet over medium. Toast the pecans 3 minutes, shaking often, until they smell sweet. Pull them before they darken. They keep cooking in the hot pan, so tip them onto a plate.
Toss
- Add the cooled couscous, roasted squash, cranberries, and drained onion to the kale. Toss with the dressing left in the bowl.
- Taste. Add a pinch of salt if the squash needs it. Scatter the pecans on top.
- Add feta at the table if you want it. It softens if it sits in the dressing.
Optional crispy chickpeas
- Pat the chickpeas very dry. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Roast on a second pan at 425F for 20 to 25 minutes, shaking once, until they are crisp. Add them when you serve so they stay crunchy.
Optional tofu
- Press the tofu, then cube it. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high.
- Cook 6 to 8 minutes, turning, until the sides are golden. Salt while it cooks. Fold it in at the end.
Notes
Cool the couscous before it hits the kale. Steam is what makes the leaves soggy.
Do not rinse pearl couscous. Toast it dry.
Toast pecans in a skillet. On the 425F tray they burn before the squash is done.
For lunchboxes, pack pecans and feta on the side and add them when you eat.
Store the tossed salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The kale softens by day 2. It does not freeze well.
No butternut: pumpkin or delicata, same cubes and time. Curly kale works if you massage it closer to 2 minutes.
Gluten-free: pearl couscous is wheat. Use quinoa, and salt the cooking water.
Vegan: skip the feta. The dressing is already dairy-free.
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