Roasted Fig Couscous Salad with Almonds

With the last figs being in season, I’d love to share a beautiful Mediterranean-inspired fig salad. This delicious dish combines the sweetness of roasted figs, the nuttiness of almonds, spices, and crunchy textures into one rich recipe. It balances lots of flavors and is super satisfying to eat. Also, this recipe is super healthy! Let’s get into this delicious fig couscous salad recipe! 

Ingredients for this Fig Couscous Salad with Almonds: 

• Couscous 
• Almonds 
• Parsley 
• Figs 
• Tomatoes 
• Red onion 
• Lemon 
• Dijon mustard 
• Ground coriander seed 
• Olive oil 
• Salt & pepper to season 
• Optional: maple syrup

The star of this dish is fresh figs. I’d recommend going for delicious ripe ones. They should feel slightly soft to the touch. This is a good sign they are sweet and delicious. Still, they should keep their texture. Otherwise, they will fall apart when roasting them. 

Of course, you also need couscous! You can go with any couscous variety you like. I can imagine most work deliciously for this recipe. I went with ordinary couscous, but pearl or whole-grain couscous can taste great as well! 

Next, you need almonds for this recipe. I went with pre-roasted and unsalted ones and gave them an additional toast in a pan without oil for more flavor. 

Regarding vegetables, you can include any veggies you like to see in your couscous salad. I went with a simple combination of sweet plum tomatoes and red onion. I like the red onion a lot for some spice and texture. You could also add lettuce or cucumber for an additional crunch. 

For spices, I kept it pretty simple. The figs, almonds, and the spiciness of red onion already speak for themselves in this salad. I complemented this with dried coriander seed and some salt and pepper for seasoning. 

Additionally, to avoid the salad being too dry, I am adding a simple dressing made with extra virgin olive oil, some mustard, and freshly squeezed lemon juice! I used a sweet mustard, but you can also use any other mild mustard and balance the dressing with a sweetener like maple syrup.

I think the combination of ingredients tastes pretty fantastic. But feel free to get your creativity going and to customize this recipe to your preferences! That’s some of the beauty of couscous salads. You can have so many delicious varieties! 

How to make this Fig Couscous Salad with Almonds: 

Making this couscous salad is super simple. It consists of a few steps that need to be taken care of. Cooking the couscous, toasting the almonds, roasting the figs, preparing the veggies, and making the dressing. Sounds like much, but altogether, this recipe is super simple and quick to make!

Making the Couscous:

Firstly, I like to make the couscous so it can cool while making the rest of this salad. Letting the couscous cool is essential so the veggies keep their crunchy texture. Boil some water. I like to go with a 1:1 ratio of water and couscous. Keeping the couscous on the dry side works well for the salad, especially when adding dressing later. 

Crush the coriander seeds, and add half of them, together with the couscous, to your pot. Add a sip of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. If you want to have even more flavor, consider using delicious vegetable stock. 

Add the boiling water, and turn up the heat. Put a lid on your pot, and bring the couscous to a boil. Once boiling, take the couscous from the heat and let it couscous steep. Wait for 10 minutes before lifting the lid. Now, you can fluff the couscous with a fork to stop the grains from sticking together. While the couscous cools, you can prepare the other ingredients for the fig couscous salad. 

Preparing the Vegetables:

Next, I like to take care of the vegetables. Wash the veggies and cut them into bite-sized bits. I cut the onion lengthwise into thin stripes. They give great texture to the salad. Add the onion slices to a cold water bath and wash it a couple of times to avoid sharp flavors. Also, wash the parsley, strip off the leaves, and finely chop it. 

Making the Dressing:

Now, you can already prepare the dressing. Add the mustard, olive oil, and lemon juice to a jar and shake it into a homogenous, simple dressing. Check for seasoning. You can also add some maple syrup for sweetness. 

Toasting the Almonds:

To toast the almonds, cut them to your liking. I went with bigger pieces of almond for more texture. Toast them without oil on medium heat. Be careful not to burn them. 

Roasting the Figs:

Last but not least, let’s roast the figs. I keep this step for the end, so the figs are nice and hot when we top our couscous salad with them. Give the figs a good wash and slice them in half. The peel can stay on. It is edible and will turn soft when you roast the figs. 

I roasted mine on medium-high heat from both sides on a flat-top grill, but you can use a pan for this as well. I like to have a nice roast and caramelization on both sides. My figs were pretty large, so I decided to quarter them before serving them on the salad.

Bringing it Together into a Delicious Fig Couscous Salad with Almonds:

Now, we are ready to assemble this beautiful fig couscous salad with toasted almonds. I combined the cooled couscous with the tomato, parsley ¾ of the onions, and dressing. I reserved some to make a beautiful garnish for the salad. Check for seasoning.

To plate the salad, I added the couscous salad to the plate and topped it with a generous amount of toasted almonds, a few quarters of the toasted fig, and a few onion slices. I finished it with an additional drizzle of olive oil and a few pinches of crushed coriander seeds. 

This salad smelled and tasted just as delicious as it looked. It is a unique way of adding figs to a main course, and my family enjoyed it quite a lot! I hope you have fun making your version of this recipe. Let me know what you think in the comments! 

Some more Recipe Inspirations: 

• Refreshing tabbouleh salad
• Fattoush salad
• Healthy couscous salad recipe
• Panzanella salad
• Radicchio salad with blood oranges
• Fig crostini with vegan cream cheese
• Vegan tagine recipe
• Tangy harak osbao 
• Easy fig chutney recipe
• Baked figs stuffed with vegan cream cheese

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