Warm Couscous Salad with Apricot Vinaigrette
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Light, fresh, and full of flavor, this couscous salad with a tangy-sweet apricot vinaigrette is made for summer.
I love Moroccan food, especially the way it blends savory and sweet—that’s the inspiration behind this couscous salad. It’s made with scallions, fresh herbs, crunchy almonds, and a tangy-sweet apricot vinaigrette, and it’s everything you want in a summer side: light, quick to make, easy to pack for a picnic or BBQ, and delicious served warm or at room temperature. I love it with my Grilled Moroccan Chicken but it’s just as good alongside almost any chicken, pork or lamb dish.
“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 + butter: Cooking the couscous in broth instead of water infuses it with flavor, and a little butter makes it rich and fluffy.
- Couscous: The hearty base of the salad. While it looks like a grain, couscous is actually a tiny pasta made from semolina flour—it cooks in minutes.
- Apricot preserves, olive oil & white wine vinegar: These make the vinaigrette. The preserves add sweet-tangy flavor, the vinegar balances it with brightness, and the olive oil adds richness and ties it all together.
- Scallions + fresh parsley or mint: Add freshness, color, and a light herbal note. The herbs are optional, but they really make the salad pop.
- Sliced almonds: Bring a satisfying crunch and toasty flavor that complement the sweet apricot vinaigrette.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Steam the couscous. Combine the broth, butter, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium pot and bring to a boil. 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.
Step 2: Make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together the apricot preserves, olive oil, vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of fresh black pepper.
Step 3: Mix the couscous and dressing. 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).
Step 4: Finish and serve. Stir in the scallions, herbs, and sliced almonds. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed (I usually add a good bit of salt). Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Warm Couscous Salad with Apricot Vinaigrette
This quick couscous salad travels well, tastes great warm or at room temp, and pairs beautifully with grilled meats or seafood.
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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Such a great and unique salad that goes with so many dishes! I used walnuts instead of almonds and it was perfect!
I just made this and it is absolutely delicious! I can’t stop sampling it. I made it with the Near East Whole Grain Wheat Couscous. Thank you for the recipe.
This is a great quick and easy recipe. I substituted quinoa for couscous and plum preserve for apricot because we had just made some. I only added about 2 tbs of the vinagrette to the quinoa because it isn’t as absorbant as couscous. It tasted delicious! It was a big hit. I served it with the moroccan meatballs, cucumber dill yogurt sauce and steamed carrots.
Hi Jenn – first of all, thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes! I especially appreciate the way you try to simplify things for the home cook who may not have much time or formal culinary training. Regarding the cooking instructions for the couscous – my husband claims that the brand you used was not available at our grocery store tonight so he bought a different one. I notice that you reduced the amount of liquid you used to cook your couscous – should I proportionally change mine as well? (The cooking instructions for the one I have normally call for a 1:1 ratio of liquid to couscous – should I reduce the liquid)? Thanks!
Hi Su, Yes, this recipe calls for less liquid because the couscous soaks up the dressing. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks so much for the speedy reply (on a holiday, no less)! I reduced the liquid to 1.25 cups of chicken broth for the 1.5 cups of couscous, and I loved the final texture/consistency. Even the vinaigrette alone was addictive – I couldn’t stop sneaking tastes of it! It was wonderful with some spicy ribs and the recipe you posted for cilantro lime sweet corn. My family loves your recipes!
Hi!! I’m looking forward to trying on one of these warm summer days! Would Feta crumbles go well tossed in or would it be too much? Thank you!
Sure, Erin – I think feta would work here. Please let me know how it turns out!
I would like to serve this with pulled lamb.. do you think if i sub the apricot jam for mint jelly…would the flavours work?
ps LOVE your recipes!
Hi Georgina, I do think it’d work (so long as the jelly isn’t green — that would turn the couscous an unappetizing color!) but you could also keep the recipe as is, and serve the lamb with mint jelly on the side.
Hoping–this might be able to be made a day ahead and served cold? One reviewer mentioned it was “yum” either way…understand warm would be best but would cold be bad? Make ahead meals for entertaining are much preferred. Thanks for any thoughts!
Hi Diane, It’s totally fine to make this a day ahead. Instead of serving it cold, I’d suggest reheating it or bringing it to room temperature before serving. Also, I’d add the dressing right before serving. Enjoy!
Great to know! Thanks so much! Forgot to ask: Can I substitute Apple Cider Vinegar for White Wine Vinegar? Can I make the dressing the night before and leave it out at room temp so mixes better (worried preserves will gel up)?
Hi Diane, apple cider vinegar would work here. And I think you could leave the dressing out, but I might refrigerate it and then pop it in the microwave for 5 – 10 seconds to thin it out if necessary.
Jenn: You are the best. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate being able to read your website and learn from you. Every recipe I try makes people happy. Thank you.
🙂
I prepared this cous-cous last Tuesday for a dinner meeting my husband organized. Served with grilled chicken and a green salad this stood out as the star of the table and was loved by all. Several of the ladies asked for “my” recipe and I was happy to tell them about Jenn’s website!
I reviewed the nutrition box for the Warm Couscous Salad with Apricot Vinaigrette, there are 52g of carbs. I have heard there are good carbs and bad carbs and wondering what couscous falls under? Where would the salt be coming from in the recipe?
Hi NS, Couscous, while not unhealthy, is not a whole grain. If you wanted to up the nutrition in this recipe, you could always try it with whole wheat couscous. I haven’t tried it that way, but I think it’d work nicely. Regarding the sodium, while the recipe calls for low sodium broth, I suspect that’s where most of the sodium comes from.
Wonderful recipe. My husband is a Moroccan Jew and I love yo find new things to make for him in the US. He had a couscousierre but it was lost in transit alas. We love your sight and make so many things you post. Thank you for sharing!!