Name: Autumn Couscous Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 3 cups butternut squash (peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes); 2 tsp olive oil; salt to taste; 4 slices bacon (chopped); 1 cup pearl couscous (sometimes called Israeli couscous); 1¼ cups chicken bone broth; 2 tbsp olive oil; 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard; 1 garlic clove (grated); ½ tsp chili flakes (optional); salt to taste; 1 cup diced rotisserie chicken breast; 3 cups chopped kale (stems removed); ½ red onion (thinly sliced); ¼ cup dried cranberries; ¼ cup roasted pistachios (roughly chopped); 3 oz crumbled feta

In this post:

Why You’ll Love It
Key Ingredients
How to Make It
Swaps & Substitutions
Victoria’s Tips
Storage & Meal Prep
More Fall Salad Recipes
The Recipe
More Recipes To Try

I have been really into fall salads this year. I’m just loving the combination of cozy, heartier flavors packed into a salad that’s perfect for lunch all week long.

So this is my take on an autumn couscous salad with pearl couscous, roasted butternut squash, chicken, bacon, kale, cranberries, and pistachios, all tossed in a garlic honey mustard vinaigrette.

It takes a couple of steps to prep but you can make a big batch and enjoy all week long. It’s the type of recipe I never get sick of.

About 40 minutes to prep and 30 grams of protein per serving and 7 grams of fiber. It makes a great fall lunch of meal prep for the week ahead.

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Autumn pearl couscous salad tossed with red onion, pistachios and roasted squash in a large serving bowl

Why You’ll Love It

Meal prep friendly. Couscous salads are great for meal prep. They get better as they sit and can be eaten straight out of the fridge. No microwave needed.
All the fall flavors. Butternut squash, dried cranberries, kale, pistachios and a honey mustard vinaigrette. So much flavor in every bite.
High-protein. This salad is designed to be a balanced meal on it’s own. It has 30 grams of protein per serving to keep you satisfied for hours.

Love fall salads? Give my Harvest Quinoa Salad with Brown Butter Dijon Vinaigrette a try. Fresh cranberries roast alongside butternut squash for the ultimate sweet savory combo.

Spoonful of couscous salad with butternut squash and cranberries held over the bowl

Key Ingredients

This autumn couscous salad has all the fall flavors from roasted squash to cranberries and pistachios.

Pearl couscous: Also called Israeli couscous. It’s a little ball of toasted pasta that’s chewy and delicious.
Butternut squash: Roasted until its soft and sweet. It’s one of the main flavors in this autumn couscous salad.
Red onion: Thinly sliced and added raw for a bit of contrast and sharpness.
Chicken: Optional but added for protein to make this a complete meal. A can of rinsed and dried white beans would also work.
Bacon: Also optional but why not. The smokey flavor adds so much.
Kale: Lots of greens would work here but I like kale because it holds up well and brings crunch and an earthy nutty flavor.
Honey mustard vinaigrette: A classic dressing that fits the fall flavors perfectly and is super easy to make.
Cranberries, pistachios, and feta: These are the finishing touches. Tart, crunchy, salty, and creamy to bring everything together.

For another meal preppable autumnal lunch, try my Fall Harvest Dense Bean Salad. Same sweet, savory flavor profile that holds up great for days.

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How to Make It

It takes about 40 minutes and a bit of chopping and whisking, but it’s well worth the effort.

Roasted butternut squash cubes on a sheet pan for couscous salad

Roast the squash
Add your diced butternut squash to a sheet pan with some olive oil and salt. Roast for about 25 minutes then let cool.

Crispy chopped bacon in a saucepan for autumn couscous salad

Crisp the bacon
Cook your chopped bacon pieces in a saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Then set aside and pour off the majority of the bacon fat, leaving just a little bit on the pan.

Toasted pearl couscous cooked in bone broth cooling on a paper towel-lined plate

Toast and cook the couscous
To the same pan, add your couscous and toast for 2 to 3 minutes until some of the pearls start to turn a little golden. Add your bone broth and cook according to package instructions.

Garlic honey mustard dressing for autumn couscous salad in a small glass bowl with a whisk

Make the dressing
Add all your dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.

Massaged chopped kale in a white bowl with salad servers

Massage the kale
Add a small splash of the dressing to a bowl with the kale and massage until it has softened and darkened in color.

Autumn pearl couscous salad ingredients arranged in a bowl before tossing, with chicken, bacon, feta and squash

Toss
Add the couscous, chicken, red onion, cranberries, bacon, and the rest of the dressing to the bowl with the kale. Toss then gently fold in the kale. Top with pistachios and feta.

Want another cozy season-inspired recipe? Check out my Warm Butter Bean, Kale & Roasted Pumpkin Salad.

Swaps & Substitutions

This recipe is pretty flexible, feel free to use what you have on hand.

Chicken: This is an optional ingredient so you can leave it out or swap it for a can of drained and rinsed white beans.
Butternut squash: Sweet potato or pumpkin would also be great.
Dried cranberries: Free free to swap for diced up dates or pomegranate seeds.
Kale: arugula, thinly sliced brussel sprouts, or even spinach would all work here.
Bacon: Leave it out or swap for turkey bacon. (You’ll need a bit of extra olive oil to toast the couscous).
Feta: Leave it out or swap for goat cheese or parm.
Pistachios: Any nut you like will work here, particularly pecans or pepitas.

Victoria’s Tips

Here are a couple of my tips that make all the difference in this autumn couscous salad.

Toast the couscous. This is the secret to getting a chewy texture instead of mush. I like to use some of the bacon fat but you can also use olive oil or butter.
Don’t rinse the couscous. Spread it out on a plate to cool. Rinsing will wash away the starches and the dressing won’t stick as well.
Salt as you go. This salad needs salt but lots of the ingredients bring their own saltiness so taste and salt as you go. If you have a particularly salty bone broth, you might not need to add any extra.

Autumn couscous salad meal prep in a glass container with red grapes on the side

Storage & Meal Prep

This autumn couscous salad is designed for meal prep. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It tastes best on day 2 and day 3 once all the flavors have combined.