Barley Free Couscous Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Turmeric Dressing
Bright, golden, and packed with roasted vegetables, this couscous salad is the kind of dish that looks impressive but comes together with minimal fuss. Zucchini, red bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes go into a hot oven until their edges char and their natural sweetness deepens, then get folded into fluffy whole wheat couscous alongside fresh parsley, mint, and crunchy dry-roasted almonds. The real star is the turmeric dressing — a punchy blend of lemon juice, cumin, ginger, and garlic that turns a warm, sunny gold and soaks right into the grains. Couscous is made from semolina wheat, so it's naturally free of barley, and every other ingredient here is straightforward and easy to source without label anxiety. For anyone navigating grain restrictions, it's worth double-checking that your couscous and spices are processed on dedicated equipment, since cross-contact can sneak in at the packaging stage. This salad works beautifully served warm straight from the bowl or at room temperature, making it just as good for a weeknight dinner as it is for packing up the next day. The combination of roasted vegetables, herby freshness, and that golden dressing is genuinely hard to resist.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the roasted vegetables
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the couscous
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat couscous
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons)
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- ¼ tsp salt
For the salad
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup dry-roasted almonds, roughly chopped
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Spread the zucchini, red bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, and toss to coat.
- 2
Roast the vegetables for 20–22 minutes, until the zucchini and pepper are tender with lightly charred edges and the tomatoes have collapsed and begun to caramelize. Remove from the oven and set aside.
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