Spiced Apricot & Red Onion Couscous Salad

This somewhat messy, deeply flavorful Spiced Apricot & Red Onion Couscous Salad is the epitome of everything I love about cooking (and eating!). It takes a risk with seasonal ingredients, like apricots, and turns them into something that tastes electric.

This dish is inspired by Moroccan and Middle Eastern spice blends, along with those cuisines’ ability to combine sweet and savory into the most flavorful, punchy meals. The dish comes out filling, well-balanced, wholesome, and best of all – it can last for days.

It’s the kind of leftovers that I’m excited to eat, and I hope when you taste this blend of aromatics, spices, and flavors, you’ll feel the same way, too.

Now what’s the difference between this apricot salad and traditional tabbouleh?

Tabbouleh is traditionally made of bulgur wheat, herbs, olive oil and lemon juice, but its recipe can vary widely. While this dinner is a couscous salad, it was initially inspired by tabbouleh and my experience with different versions of that dish. It only felt right to credit that original recipe in this blog post (and to pay respect to the inspiration!). I always aim to properly attribute where my recipe ideas come from, and how they evolve!

The main difference between this dish and traditional tabbouleh is that the apricots and red onion are cooked down before they are added to the salad, the amount of parsley is on the lighter side, and lime juice is used as the main acid, not lemon. I opted to use couscous instead of bulgur wheat because it’s more readily accessible in the grocery stores in the U.S.

When you allow the apricots to get all jammy and collapse into the spices, it turns into a softened spice blend all its own. The onion needs to cook down to remove any sharpness, but also to coax out that subtle sweetness and depth that I love in red onion. The more charred they get in the oil, the better the dish becomes.

Unlike the tabbouleh that inspired this dish, where the ingredients remain raw, this takes the dish one step further – it may make it untraditional, but it’s still a delicious apricot couscous salad.

Ingredients you’ll need

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 medium apricots
• 1 large red onion
• 1 cup couscous, uncooked
• 1 medium fennel bulb
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 2 limes, for juicing
• 1 (13.5 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Ingredient substitutions

• Extra virgin olive oil: Swap for avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or really any oil you like
• Apricots: Peaches or nectarines would be a great substitute
• Red onion: Can be swapped for shallot, white onion, yellow onion, the white part of one large leek, or a fennel bulb (if you like fennel!)
• Couscous: Swap for orzo, quinoa, bulgur, or barley
• Fennel: I love subbing in celery, cucumber, or arugula
• Chickpeas: Any white bean will be excellent, but also know that the chickpeas are just there for protein! If you want to add diced chicken breast, seared tofu, or any other protein, please feel free.

How to make this salad

1. In a large bowl, add 1 teaspoon ground cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika. Add 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and red pepper flakes. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Add in 1/4 cup of olive oil and mix this into a paste.
2. Quarter the apricots and add them to the bowl with the oil. Cut the red onion into wedges and add it as well. Toss so everything is well coated.
3. Set a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the contents of the bowl. Stir this occasionally, cooking for 10-15 minutes or until the onion and apricot are beginning to char.
4. Use this time to prepare the couscous according to package instructions. Set aside.
5. Thinly shave the fennel bulb and add it to a bowl. Finely chop the parsley and add it as well. Tear in the mint leaves. Squeeze in the juice from two limes and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Toss well, taste and season as preferred and set aside.
6. When the onion mixture is caramelizing and the onions are softened, stir in the chickpeas. Taste and season with more salt and pepper.
7. Remove the pan from the heat and combine the apricot mixture with the couscous. To serve, either mix the couscous together with the fennel, or serve the couscous in a big pile and the fennel as a salad on top.

Storage tips

You can either store the fennel salad and the couscous portion separately, or you can combine them together in one big bowl. Either way, cover the dish or put it in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 6 days. You could also freeze this recipe for up to 3 months! I just suggest thawing it in the fridge for a few days before eating because the fennel can tend to wilt in the microwave.

Looking for similar recipes?

And that’s it for this Apricot Couscous Salad!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course, feel free to leave any questions, comments, or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3