Vibrant Pumpkin Couscous Salad

It's winter squash season and I won't apologise for bringing you another creation in the image of gourd. 🎃👀

This time round it's a roasted pumpkin couscous salad that combines tender squash, red pepper, spices, herbs, and seeds for a vibrant side dish that's lifted by a flavourful garlic and lime dressing.

While the veg is roasting in the oven, you can crack on with preparing the simple dressing and getting the couscous ready to mix together with the other ingredients. Toasting the couscous is optional, but a nice step that I reckon is always worth doing if you have the time.

Looking for more vegan couscous ideas? Check out these recipes for Mediterranean couscous salad and Morrocan couscous with roasted chickpeas.

Why you'll love it

• It's a great way to bring an autumnal ingredient to life
• You can enjoy this as a side dish or a filling meal on its own
• You can easily include other roasted veg in addition to the pumpkin
• Like pasta, couscous is a handy store-cupboard ingredient with a long shelf life

Recipe testing notes

• Pumpkin skin: I wouldn't bother peeling your pumpkin unless the skin seems particularly thick or tough (you could also just roast the pieces for slightly longer to ensure it's tender).
• Toasting the couscous: This step will give the couscous an added nutty flavour, however it's optional and completely up to you.
• Pan with lid: If toasting the couscous, it's handy to make sure there's a tight-fitting lid for your pan (to then steam the couscous in this later).

Which type of pumpkin should I use?

You can make this couscous with virtually any edible pumpkin or winter squash. Depending on the thickness of the skin, you may or may not want to leave this on for roasting.

If you're trying to use up the innards from a carving pumpkin, you're probably better turning it into something like Halloween pumpkin soup.

See also this creamy pumpkin and sweet potato soup. 👇

What you'll need

To make the pumpkin couscous, you'll need:

• Dried couscous (either regular or wholewheat)
• Pumpkin and red pepper to roast together in the oven
• Cumin and mixed spice to add a subtle flavour
• Garlic and lime to create a dressing with the olive oil
• Fragrant herbs in the form of coriander and spring onions
• Pumpkin seeds as a nice final touch of texture

How to make pumpkin couscous salad

Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over a baking sheet and add the diced pumpkin and red pepper pieces.

Sprinkle over the cumin, mixed spice, and a little salt and pepper.

Toss to coat and roast in the oven for 20-25 mins until the pumpkin is golden and tender, shaking the pan once or twice during cooking.

Meanwhile, grate around ½ of the lime zest and add this to a small bowl along with the minced garlic. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of lime juice and combine (you can add extra juice to taste later on).

Season with a little salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a pan over low-medium heat and add the dried couscous. Toast gently for 4-5 minutes or until starting to turn golden, stirring often.

Note: It helps if the pan has a tight-fitting lid for later (see recipe notes for alternative).

Once the couscous is toasted, turn off the heat and wait until your pumpkin is done. After 20-25 minutes in the oven, it should be soft and golden. Remove and allow to cool slightly.

To the couscous pan, add the boiled water or vegan stock.

Stir quickly, cover with a lid, and leave to steam for 5 minutes or until soft (it may take slightly longer depending on the variety).

Once the couscous is soft, fluff it up with a fork. Stir in the roasted pumpkin and red pepper, spring onions, coriander, and pumpkin seeds.

Add the garlic and lime dressing and mix everything together well.

Adjust to taste, adding any extra salt, pepper, or lime juice, and serve.

Serving suggestions

This pumpkin couscous makes for a delicious side dish along with the likes of grilled tempeh or grilled tofu skewers.

Serve with toppings such as coriander leaves, super seed mix, extra pumpkin seeds, roasted lentils, cashew lime crema, or cashew parmesan. Other ideas for toppings include chilli, pomegranate seeds, raisins, or harissa paste (just like in this harissa aubergine couscous).

Recipe FAQ

Variations and tips for roasted pumpkin couscous

• Other veg: Ingredients such as aubergine, courgette, or red onion would all make nice additions to the roasting tray.
• Other herbs: Basil, parsley, and chives – or a combination of these – would also work well.
• Pan vs. bowl: If you want to skip the step of toasting the couscous, you could simply use a heat-proof bowl with a lid or cling film (plastic wrap) to steam it before combining with the other ingredients.

More vegan recipe ideas

If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy:

You can also check out my full list of vegan side dishes.

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