Curried Couscous and Kale Salad with Turmeric Ginger Chicken

Break out of your usual lunchtime routine with this curried couscous and kale salad. Roasted butternut squash and turmeric ginger chicken stud couscous and dark leafy greens, all tossed in a curry spiced maple vinaigrette and sprinkled with dried cranberries and pepitas. If fall threw a party, this is who it would invite.

Fall is definitely a time for comfort food. From cinnamon crunch apple cake to molten baked brie with blistered tomatoes, every day is a good day for rich, cozy food. 

Every now and then, I need something healthy to cut through all that richness. This salad has been my go-to for the past several weeks for a healthy lunch (that I can grab and go throughout the week) or a light dinner. It’s full of colorful vegetables, but it gets pulled together by a sweet, spiced vinaigrette.

This is truly one of the best big salads I can think of. If you love grain salads with a mixture of sweet and savory textures and flavors, this recipe is perfect for you! 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Rich curry flavor. Loaded with warm spices, your kitchen will smell absolutely amazing as you make this hearty, healthy seasonal salad with its delicious homemade dressing.
• Great for meal prep. I love that I can use the same baking tray for both butternut squash and the chicken. 
• ​Turn it into a side dish by eliminating the chicken.
• Vegan adaptable. Simply remove the chicken for a vegan-friendly salad that’s elegant enough to serve over the holidays. 
• It’s vibrant. We eat with our eyes first and this salad is truly a feast for the eyes, making it hard to resist!
• It’s full of healthy ingredients and seasonal vegetables. Raw kale, butternut squash, ginger, turmeric, and pepitas. What’s not to love?

Here’s What You’ll Need for This Salad Recipe

• Chicken breasts: Use whole, boneless skinless chicken breasts to cook alongside your butternut squash.
• Fresh kale: Lacinato or curly kale will both work in this recipe.
• Butternut squash: Fresh or frozen. You can prep fresh butternut squash and store overnight in an airtight container or freezer bag.
• Pepitas: Roasted, salted pepitas give this salad a little added texture and salt. I have made this with unsalted pepitas, and they work fine in a pinch.
• Dried cranberries: Dried cranberries are both sweet and tangy, so they are a welcome addition to this fall salad.
• Cilantro: If you don’t like fresh cilantro, you can opt to use parsley leaves as well.
• Shallot: Shallots deliver sweet onion flavor without the aggressiveness of regular onions.
• Couscous: We’re using traditional couscous in this recipe. 
• Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt acts as a meat tenderizer in this recipe. 
• Fresh ginger root: Ginger is used as a seasoning for the chicken. 
• Turmeric: Turmeric gives the chicken a pop of color as well as some additional flavor.
• Garlic: fresh garlic cloves (for the salad dressing) and garlic powder for the roasted butternut squash so it doesn’t burn in the oven.
• Lemon juice: I recommend using fresh lemon juice in this recipe because it’s such a key component to the overall final flavor of the salad. 
• Maple syrup: A perfect sweetener for a fall salad. Make sure you use pure maple syrup and not the fake stuff.
• Honey: Use honey or maple syrup to sweeten the chicken marinade in this recipe.
• Mustard: Mustard gives this salad dressing a definite tang, but it also acts as an emulsifier, helping you whisk your dressing into something slightly thicker.
• Apple cider vinegar: A little acidity for the salad dressing. 
• Extra-virgin olive oil: Choose a good tasting olive oil for your salad dressing.
• Additional spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cinnamon

Additions and Substitutions

Substitutions

• Brown rice, quinoa, or even pearl couscous instead of couscous for a gluten-free alternative.
• Summer squash, zucchini, or sweet potatoes instead of butternut. (Or any combo of the three.)
• Golden raisins or dried apricots instead of dried cranberries.
• Use sunflower seeds instead of pumpkin seeds (pepitas).
• Use a couple of tablespoons of finely diced red onion in place of shallots. The onion flavor will be a little stronger.
• To make this salad vegetarian, you can eliminate the chicken and simply add in a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas or white beans or some crumbled feta cheese.

Additions

• You can add feta or goat cheese to this salad if you want to add a little creaminess to the salad. 
• Add a handful of pomegranate seeds to this salad, especially if you forego the chicken and make this as a holiday side dish. 

How to Make This Curried Kale and Couscous Salad: Step by Step

1. Marinate the chicken. Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in an airtight container and coat the chicken. Cover. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes but up to 24 hours. 
2. Make the couscous.
3. Massage kale. Add the de-stemmed and chopped kale leaves to a large bowl and then drizzle it with 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice or extra virgin olive oil and use your hands to rub the leaves together gently for 2-3 minutes. They should look glossy and slightly reduced in volume when massaging is achieved.
4. Make the vinaigrette. Add curry powder, garlic, and chopped shallot to a small bowl. Heat oil in a small skillet. It’s ready when you drop a chili flake or a whole peppercorn into it and little bubbles rapidly form around it. Remove from heat and pour carefully into bowl with spices. Add in apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and whole grain mustard, and whisk to combine. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste. Adjust seasoning to your liking. Set aside until it’s time to assemble the salad. 
5. Roast chicken and squash. Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a large baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Use half of the sheet to coat butternut squash cubes and spread out in an even layer. On the other side of the baking sheet place the chicken breasts. Roast for 22-26 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken breast reaches 165. The butternut squash will take the same amount of time, but are done once they start to turn golden on the edges and are tender when pierced through with a fork. Remove from oven.
6. Assemble the salad. To the bowl of kale and couscous, add the chicken, the butternut squash, the cranberries, pepitas, chopped cilantro and toss in the curried maple vinaigrette. Taste, adjust salt and pepper as needed. Spritz with a little lemon juice or a drizzle of olive oil over the top of the salad and toss again until the flavor and texture of the salad is just right for you!

What to Serve with Curried Kale and Couscous Salad

With the chicken, this salad is a complete meal which includes veggies, grains, and protein. Finish it off with this dirty chai tiramisu , this cinnamon crunch apple cake, or this apple snack cake – all lovely fall desserts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes, you can make individual components ahead of time. If you want to eat this as a warm salad, you’ll want to wait to add the kale and the salad dressing until after you reheat the other elements of the salad, but if you want to eat this cold, you can go ahead and make the whole salad up to 3 days in advance. 

How long will massaged kale keep?

Massaged kale will keep for 3-4 days when stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator. In fact, I think it is even better the next day, simply because all of the flavors will have had a chance to meld together.

Can I make this salad spicy?

You can definitely add crushed red pepper flakes to the salad dressing or a bit of chili powder to the butternut squash before it goes in the oven.

Tips & Tricks for Making the Perfect Kale and Couscous Salad

• Massage the kale! Kale is known for being tough and fibrous. So much so that if you’ve never taken this step, you probably don’t like this leafy green very much. Massaging kale softens it, making it way more enjoyable.
• Serve with lemon wedges. I like to set lemon wedges out on the table when I make salads like this for dinner. That way, everyone can adjust the acidity to their own taste preferences. Similarly, I also usually set out a jar of flaky sea salt.

​

STORAGE & REHEATING

• Storage: Store this hearty salad in an airtight container for 3-4 days. 
• Reheating: I don’t recommend reheating this salad once the kale has been added. If you do, the kale will wilt, which isn’t a problem, but it does change the texture. 
• Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing this salad.

📖 Recipe

Curried Couscous and Kale Salad with Turmeric Ginger Chicken

If fall threw a party, this couscous and kale salad with turmeric ginger chicken and maple curry vinaigrette is who it would invite.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course dinner, lunch, salad, side dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4 -8 people

Ingredients

  

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For the Roasted Butternut Squash

• 3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste

For the Chicken

• ⅓ cup whole Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts approximately 2 breasts
• ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste

For the Curried Maple Vinaigrette

• 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 shallots
• 4 ½ tablespoons olive oil
• 4 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 ½ teaspoons whole-grain mustard
• Salt and black pepper to taste I start with ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper and taste as I go

For the Rest of the Salad

• 1 box couscous
• ⅓ cup dried cranberries
• ⅓ cup pepitas green pumpkin seeds or chopped raw pecans
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• A spritz of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil to finish the salad if desired

Instructions

 

• Marinate the chicken. Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in an airtight container and coat the chicken. Cover. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes but up to 24 hours.
• Make the couscous.
• Massage kale. Add the de-stemmed and chopped kale leaves to a large bowl and then drizzle it with 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice or extra virgin olive oil and use your hands to rub the leaves together gently for 2-3 minutes. They should look glossy and slightly reduced in volume when massaging is achieved.
• Make the vinaigrette. Add curry powder, garlic, and chopped shallot to a small bowl. Heat oil in a small skillet. It’s ready when you drop a chili flake or a whole peppercorn into it and little bubbles rapidly form around it. Remove from heat and pour carefully into bowl with spices. Add in apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and whole grain mustard, and whisk to combine. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste. Adjust seasoning to your liking. Set aside until it’s time to assemble the salad.
• Roast chicken and squash. Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a large baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Use half of the sheet to coat butternut squash cubes and spread out in an even layer. On the other side of the baking sheet place the chicken breasts. Roast for 22-26 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken breast reaches 165. The butternut squash will take the same amount of time, but are done once they start to turn golden on the edges and are tender when pierced through with a fork. Remove from oven.
• Assemble the salad. To the bowl of kale and couscous, add the chicken, the butternut squash, the cranberries, pepitas, chopped cilantro and toss in the curried maple vinaigrette. Taste, adjust salt and pepper as needed. Spritz with a little lemon juice or a drizzle of olive oil over the top of the salad and toss again until the flavor and texture of the salad is just right for you!

Notes

Optionally, instead of tossing the chicken with the rest of the salad, you can slice it up and serve it on top of the salad for an eye-catching presentation.

Keyword chicken, fall recipes, salad, work lunches

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