Roasted cauliflower and sweet potato combine with deeply seasoned couscous. Serve this aromatic curried couscous salad as an entree or a side dish!
More Simple Salads: Warm Brussels Sprout Salad, Israeli Couscous Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
Making the Roasted Vegetables
I love these roasted vegetables, because they come together all on a single pan! The key to making roasted cauliflower and sweet potato together on one sheet pan is to cut each veggie to the right size.
For the sweet potato, 1" cubes are what you're going for. Wondering whether you need to peel the sweet potato? That's your call! I skip peeling, but if you don't like the texture of the peel, feel free to remove it.
Cauliflower cooks up more quickly than sweet potato, so go for florets that are about the size of two baby carrots, sitting side-by-side. These larger florets will cook up perfectly alongside the smaller pieces of sweet potato.
Toss the veggies with the oil, soy sauce, and spices right on the sheet pan to save yourself having to wash an extra mixing bowl when supper is served.
Making the Basil Curried Couscous
Every time I cook with couscous, I wonder why I don't cook with it more often. It's the fastest grain to cook.
While it looks like a whole grain, like quinoa, couscous is actually more like tiny pieces of pasta. Its miniature size is the reason that it cooks up so quickly.
Actually, you don't even really cook it!
Just boil your water or broth, turn off the heat, add your couscous, and wait 5 minutes for it to soak up the liquid. It's almost impossible to mess it up, as long as you have a 1:1 water to couscous ratio.
This spiced couscous is just as easy. Instead of water, it uses vegetable broth as the base and adds in some dried spices. Bring these to a boil, then add the couscous and give it a few minutes to soak in the liquid and flavors.
Once the soaking time is up, fluff the couscous to break up any clumps.
Then, add fresh basil, roasted cashews, raw garlic, and fresh lemon juice to the mix. The raw garlic does make the finishes couscous a bit spicy. If you prefer a more mild dish, add the garlic to the pot before boiling instead of after.
Putting the Curried Couscous Salad Together
Once the vegetables and couscous are ready, it's time to toss them together.
You can do this right in the same pan you used to make the couscous. Why dirty another dish, right?
I find this recipe very flavorful without adding any dressing, but you can certainly dress it up, if that's your thing. Add a sesame vinaigrette or even just a squeeze of extra lemon juice, if you like.
This salad is lovely served warm right away, or you can serve it cold the next day. That makes it perfect for meal prepping!
Basil Curried Couscous Salad with Sheet Pan Vegetables
Ingredients
For the Roasted Vegetables
- 2 cups cubed sweet potato - 1" cubes (see note)
- 2 cups cauliflower florets - (see note)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
For the Curried Couscous
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup dried couscous
- 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves - minced
- 1/3 cup roasted cashews
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 fresh lemon - juiced
Instructions
Make the Roasted Vegetables First
- Preheat the oven to 450F.
- Add the sweet potato and cauliflower pieces to a large sheet pan or cookie sheet. Sprinkle on the remaining ingredients, then toss gently to coat the veggies in the oil, soy sauce, and spices.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring once, until the sweet potato is soft and the cauliflower is nice and browned. Serve warm or cold!
Make the Curried Couscous While the Veggies Roast
- In a large saucepan on high heat, bring the broth, olive oil, curry powder, garam masala, and ginger to a boil.
- Turn off the heat, and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot, and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Just before serving, use a fork to mix in the remaining couscous ingredients, gently breaking up any clumps of couscous. Toss with the roasted vegetables, and serve warm or cold.
Notes
- This recipe serves 4 as a side dish. It serves 2 as an entree. The nutrition info is for 4 servings.
- About the sweet potato: Cut your sweet potato into 1" cubes, no need to peel -- 1 large sweet potato should do the trick.
- About the cauliflower: Your florets should be about the size of two baby carrots, sitting side-by-side.
Have a question? Tried this recipe? Share your thoughts!