Fall Couscous Salad

This Fall Couscous Salad is perfect for lunch, as a side dish, or for a party! Couscous meets bacon, apple, roasted sweet potatoes, feta cheese, parsley, red onion and is tossed in a delicious and easy to make maple cider vinaigrette.

overhead view of fall couscous salad

Fall Salad Recipe

We love a good fall salad, and I especially love one I can keep in the refrigerator for a few days to snack on! I used pearl couscous as the base of this salad, but you could easily substitute any type of pasta you like. Orzo would be great.

TIP: I don’t recommend using traditional couscous because it gets a little soggy. Pearl couscous holds up well, and it absorbs the dressing nicely enough to where you can retoss it again before serving.

chopping bacon, red onion apple and parsley on a white cutting board

Ingredients Needed for Fall Salad with Couscous

  • Pearl Couscous: This can be pricy. Substitute with orzo, or any small-ish shaped pasta if desired. Cook as instructed on the package, and be sure to run it under cool water once it’s fully cooked so it doesn’t get sticky.
  • Red Onion: Chopped finely.
  • Bacon: I used microwave bacon but if you want to go all out, try candied bacon for a sweet twist.
  • Apple: Honeycrisp are my favorite but any will work. If you want a rustic feel, use whole thin slices. I recommend tossing the apple slices in a little lemon juice to prevent browning!
  • Parsley: Parsley adds an herby finish. Want more bite? Try arugula!
  • Sweet Potatoes: Roast them in the oven or air fryer with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • Feta Cheese: I use crumbled, cubed would also be nice. Goat cheese or gorgonzola will work as well.
  • Maple Cider Vinaigrette: Maple syrup, apple cider vinaigrette, dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, & pepper. This vinaigrette goes really well with some heat, use hot honey if you like a little spice.
overhead shot of ingredients for fall salad

Maple Cider Vinaigrette Recipe

I love making my own vinaigrettes for salads! This one is actually from our other blog on our Autumn Salad recipe. It’s one of my favorites! If you don’t want to make your own dressing, Fody makes a really good Maple-Dijon dressing you can find at most grocery stores.

side view of maple dijon  dressed autumn salad

Once the dressing is mixed, give the salad a good toss. I like to refrigerate it for about 30 minutes before serving. If you want to add some extra protein, you could serve it alongside some honey mustard chicken thighs!

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Hope you enjoy this one as much as we did! – Kathi and Rachel

overhead view of fall couscous salad

Fall Couscous Salad

An easy to make cold couscous salad with roasted sweet potatoes apples, and more tossed in a Maple Cider Vinaigrette dressing.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course american, autumn, fall
Cuisine American, autumn, dinner, fall, side dish
Servings 6 servings
Calories 509 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1.5 cups pearl couscous (cooked according to package and cooled/drained)
  • 1 cup sweet potatoes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 3/4 cup chopped apples
  • 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped bacon
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Maple Cider Dressing

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions
 

  • Cook pearl couscous according to package instructions. Once fully cooked, drain in a colander and rinse under cool water until completely cooled. Drain again, and set side.
  • Roast sweet potatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Toss cubed sweet potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper on a foil lined sheet pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until slightly roasted. Allow to fully cool.
  • Make vinaigrette. In a small bowl, combine all vinaigrette ingredients. Stir with a whisk until fully combined. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine cooled/drained couscous, cooled sweet potatoes, apples, parsley, red onion, bacon, and feta cheese. Drizzle dressing over. Toss to combine.
  • Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. This salad keeps in the refrigerator to up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 509kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 10gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 610mgPotassium: 257mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 3329IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 1mg
Keyword autumn, couscous, fall salad, pasta salad
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