This roasted vegetable couscous salad is loaded with cauliflower and sweet potatoes (roasted until golden), shallots, chopped kale, chives, and sunflower seeds and tossed in a bright citrus dressing. It’s hearty, full of flavor, and makes an easy meatless main meal, side dish, or lunch.
About this roasted vegetable couscous salad
If you love roasted veggies, this easy couscous salad is for you! Ready in under 40 minutes, this meatless main is perfect for weeknight meals. It’s also full of hearty, delicious flavor and adaptable to whatever veggies you have on hand. This couscous recipe calls for roasted sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and shallots, but feel free to swap them for other veggies like roasted beets, red onions, carrots, or broccoli.
I add fresh kale (finely chopped), chives, crunchy roasted sunflower seeds, and a bright citrus dressing to balance the roasted vegetables and couscous, plus a few pinches of ground sumac before serving—it has a bright lemony flavor and adds a little extra something. Completely optional, so don’t fret if you don’t have the spice on hand!
What you’ll need
- Whole-wheat couscous
- Sweet potatoes
- Cauliflower
- Olive oil
- Shallots
- Kale
- Fresh chives
- Roasted sunflower seeds
- Salt and pepper
- Sumac (optional)
For the citrus dressing
- Olive oil
- Navel orange
- Lemon
- Honey
- Salt
How to make roasted vegetable couscous salad
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Grab a large baking sheet, line it with parchment paper, and top with the chopped cauliflower and sweet potatoes. Drizzle a few glugs of olive oil over the top, plus a few pinches of kosher salt. Use your hands to mix, ensuring the veggies are well coated.
- Roast the veggies until browning and tender (stirring them halfway through); this will take between 25-35 minutes, depending on your oven. Toss the sliced shallots in with the veggies at the halfway point. They take less time to cook, so adding them midway ensures they won’t burn.
How to cook couscous
While the veggies are roasting…
- Add the dry couscous to a pot of boiling water (equals parts water and couscous), remove from the heat, cover, and let the couscous sit untouched for 5 minutes.
- When the time’s up, remove the cover and use a fork to gently scrape across the surface of the couscous, layer by layer, until you reach the base and the couscous is fluffy and without clumps.
How to make citrus dressing
- Now for some flavor. In a small mason jar, combine olive oil with the freshly squeezed lemon and orange juice, the zest of the orange and lemon, honey, and a pinch of salt. Shake or whisk until smooth.
Assembling the vegetable couscous salad
- Toss the roasted veggies with the couscous, sunflower seeds, chopped chives, chopped kale, and stir in the dressing.
- Add kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste (plus a few pinches of sumac spice). So easy, so delicious! ♡
What to serve with vegetable couscous salad
This veggie couscous salad is stand-alone delicious, but it is also so good served as a side to anything grilled.
- Grilled halloumi (keeping it meatless!) — I can’t get enough of this salty, squeaky cheese. I love to pair it with a couscous or quinoa salad.
- Anything grilled! It’s BBQ season, and this couscous plays nicely with anything hot off the grill. Beef tenderloin or some herby chicken is perfection.
Recipe notes
- Served up immediately, this roasted vegetable couscous will be slightly warm.
- As a main dish, it’s plenty for a family of four or up to eight served as a side dish.
- Leftover couscous kept covered in the fridge, will keep for a couple of days and makes a quick, easy, ready-made lunch.
If you make this roasted vegetable couscous salad let me know in the comments below. I love to hear from you!
xo Bri
Looking for more healthy recipes? Try these couscous and quinoa recipes.
- CURRIED CAULIFLOWER COUSCOUS RECIPE WITH MINT
- COCONUT THAI QUINOA SALAD WITH LIME AND BASIL
- SWEET POTATO BUDDHA BOWL WITH KALE AND QUINOA
- HERB LOADED KALE AND QUINOA SALAD
- SALMON POKE BOWL RECIPE WITH QUINOA
Roasted Vegetable Couscous Salad
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dry couscous
- 1 1/2 cups water
- olive oil as needed
- 1 head of cauliflower broken into small florets
- 1 large sweet potato chopped into 1/2 cubes
- 4 shallots finely sliced
- 2 large kale leaves washed and finely chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh chives finely chopped
- 1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds unsalted
- 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground sumac to serve — optional
Citrus dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- juice of half a small orange
- zest of one orange
- juice of one lemon
- zest of one lemon
- 1 tbsp liquid honey
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Place chopped cauliflower and sweet potatoes on a large, parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Drizzle a few glugs of olive oil over the top, plus a few pinches of kosher salt and use your hands to mix, ensuring the veggies are well coated.
- Roast the veggies until browning and tender (stirring them halfway through); this will take between 25-35 minutes, depending on your oven.
- Toss the sliced shallots in with the veggies at the halfway point. They take less time to cook, so adding them midway ensures they won’t burn.
- While the veggies are roasting, boil water in a medium-large stovetop pot. Remove from the heat and add the dry couscous. Cover for 5 minutes.
- Remove the cover and use a fork to gently scrape across the surface of the couscous, layer by layer, until you reach the base and the couscous is fluffy and without clumps.
Citrus Dressing
- In a small mason jar, combine olive oil with the freshly squeezed lemon and orange juice, the zest of the orange and lemon, honey, and a pinch of salt. Shake or whisk until smooth.
Assembling the vegetable couscous
- Toss the roasted veggies with the couscous, sunflower seeds, chopped chives, chopped kale, and stir in the dressing.
- Add kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (plus a few pinches of sumac spice).
Did you make this recipe? Tag @mondaysundaykitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #mondaysundaykitchen!
I used spinach instead of Kale and topped with plant based smoked Apple sausage it my 5 year old have it 5 stars! Thank you!