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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Just made it. I suggest doubling because you will be taking bites of it all day long. Very tasty. Perfect amount of sweetness from the apricot. Love it! I followed recipe exactly but did toast the almonds. Next time, I will toast a few extra for garnish.
Another winner! Jenn I can’t tell you how many of your recipes I have made and are now in my collection of recipes. I’ve already made a few more than once! This is an amazing combination of flavors…the chicken broth, the couscous, the almonds, the apricots created such a wonderful side dish. I was hoping there would be some left for lunch today, but no such luck!
Hi Jen – should I lightly toast the almond slices first? Thanks!
Sure, Jay, that would be nice. Hope you enjoy!
Another delicious (and easy!) recipe. We loved it. You could easily use quinoa if you wanted. Thanks, Jenn, for your creative and reliable recipes!
This looks delicious, and I’m going to try it. I just wanted to give you a correction. The word “couscoussiére” should be “couscoussière”. In the recipe, the accent is backwards. 🙂
Thanks, Kathy – I just fixed it! 🙂
My picky husband loved this.! (He loves everything I make from Jenn but I never thought he’d love this and the Chicken Moroccan I served with it. I was afraid he’d lick the plate. So outside of things I’ve been cooking for 50 years. I like others on this site can not rave more about every recipe I’ve tried. Thank you Jenn.
💕
Excellent recipe: easy to prepare, flavorful, and versatile; it can be served with any number of roasted or grilled meats or fish. For my first try, I served it to company with your Roast Chicken with Carrots, Dates and Pistachios. Both dishes were delicious and received raves. I have not eaten much couscous in the past, but you have made me a convert.
Delicious! I used rice wine vinegar instead of white wine vinegar and pearl coucos because that was what I had on hand. I made it with the grilled chicken and it was a hit with my in laws. Thanks for another fabulous recipe!
I accidentally got pearl couscous, would this work for this recipe and would I need to change anything with the cooking time etc?
Hi Denise, pearled couscous will definitely work for the recipe but the cooking time for it may be a bit longer than traditional couscous. Just follow the timing guidance on the package. Enjoy!
Thanks appreciate your timely reply ! Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Will this be good for a couple of days?
Yep!
This dish is wonderful with the Grilled Moroccan Chicken recipe. Our family and friends like it too. It is my husband’s favorite chicken recipe.
Hi Jenn. I was just about to make this and realized I don’t have apricot preserves on hand. Do you think it would be OK to substitute a smooth mango chutney for the apricot? Thanks
Yes, definitely – I think that sounds delicious!