BHA & BHT 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. The zucchini, red bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes go into a hot oven until their edges char and caramelize, building a depth of flavor that plain raw vegetables just can't match. Whole wheat couscous soaks up a turmeric-cumin-ginger dressing while still warm, so every grain is seasoned all the way through rather than just coated on the surface. Fresh parsley, mint, and a handful of dry-roasted almonds fold in at the end for brightness, crunch, and a little herby freshness that ties everything together. For anyone avoiding synthetic preservatives like BHA and BHT, packaged convenience foods and store-bought dressings are often the trickiest category to navigate — they show up in everything from bottled vinaigrettes to processed grains. This recipe sidesteps all of that by relying entirely on whole, unprocessed ingredients: fresh produce, extra virgin olive oil, whole spices, and fresh lemon juice. Nothing here needs a preservative because nothing here is processed enough to require one. It's a genuinely satisfying meal that works warm straight from the kitchen or at room temperature, making it just as good for a weeknight dinner as it is packed up for lunch the next day.
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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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