Fruity Couscous Salad
Don’t you just love the idea of something light, fresh, and full of sunshine for lunch? Especially when the days start to warm and your body starts craving colour, crispness, and a little sweetness on the side.
This fruity couscous salad: a bright, cheerful bowl that’s sweet, slightly spiced, and bursting with juicy pops of apple, dried cranberries, and raisins. It’s like a little lunchtime holiday, minus the flight.
One of the best things about it? No stove time. Truly. It’s one of those beautiful, no-fuss meals that comes together with boiling water and a little patience; no pots, no drama.
Now, full confession: my first go at couscous was a bit of a kitchen tragedy. I treated it like rice, left it to simmer for far too long, and ended up with a sad, soggy mush. A true learning moment. So here’s my loving advice: do not overcook your couscous. Trust me on this. I’ve since found the perfect quick-steep method (don’t worry, I’ll share it down below), and it’s a total game changer.
And before you raise an eyebrow at the fruit — hear me out. Couscous loves bold flavours. It’s like a sponge for goodness. The sweetness of the raisins and cranberries, the crunch of the apples, a dash of spice — it all soaks right in, turning simple ingredients into something unexpectedly delicious.
So if you’re after a meal that’s as easy as it is elegant, this fruity couscous salad might just be your new warm-weather go-to. Light, flavour-packed, and ready in minutes — what more could you ask for?
Reasons to have fruity Cous Cous salad
- Gently spiced
- Sweet and tangy
- Makes a light lunch
- Easy to make
- Full of nutritious goodness!
How to make this fruity couscous salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups couscous
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1 red apple, diced
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup spinach, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons fruit chutney
- A dash of chilli flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Falafels (optional)
Method
- Place the couscous, cranberries and raisins in a container, add 2 cups of hot water and close the container for about 4-5 minutes or until the couscous has absorbed the water. The couscous should be fluffy and double the amount.
- In a saucepan, melt the coconut oil over medium heat, add the apples and cook for about 3 minutes, add lemon, chutney, ginger and mix until well combined. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Fluff the couscous and pour over the apple mixture and spinach, stir to combine. Add a few pinches of kosher salt, chilli flakes and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- The salad can be served warm or cold. Allow at least 1-2 hours in the refrigerator for the flavours to meld.
- Enjoy!
FRUITY COUS COUS SALAD
Ingredients
- 2 cups couscous
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup raisins
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- 1 red apple diced
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ cup spinach chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons fruit chutney
- A dash of chilli flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Falafels optional
Instructions
- Place the Couscous, cranberries and raisins in a container, add 2 cups of hot water and close the container for about 4-5 minutes or until the cous cous has absorbed the water. The cous cous should be fluffy and double the amount.
- In saucepan, melt the coconut oil over medium heat, add the apples and cook for about 3 minutes, add lemon, chutney, ginger and mix until well combined. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Fluff the couscous and pour over the apple mixture and spinach, stir to combine. Add a few pinches of kosher salt, chilli flakes, and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- The salad can be served warm or cold. Allow at least 1-2 hours in the refrigerator for the flavours to meld.
- Enjoy!
