If you're looking for a lunch that's fresh, filling and actually exciting to eat, this Moroccan Chicken & Couscous Salad needs to be on your list.
Juicy Moroccan-spiced chicken, fluffy pearl couscous, sweet roasted pumpkin, chickpeas and crunchy vegetables are tossed with fresh herbs and toasted almonds, then finished with a creamy lemon yoghurt dressing.
The best part? It comes together in just 15 minutes.
Why we love this Moroccan Chicken & Couscous Salad
There's something about a loaded salad that just hits differently.
This one has a little bit of everything: warm spiced chicken, sweet pumpkin, fresh cucumber and tomatoes, fluffy couscous, crunchy almonds and a creamy, tangy dressing to bring it all together.
It's also a great example of how we love to build our lunches at TRANSFORM: protein, carbohydrates, plenty of colourful ingredients and healthy fats all on one plate.
Simple, satisfying and full of flavour.
Moroccan Chicken & Couscous Salad Recipe
Total time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Meal: Lunch
Ingredients
For the salad
- 250g chicken tenderloins, diced
- 1 tbsp Moroccan spice blend
- 1 cup cooked pearl couscous
- 1 cup roasted pumpkin, diced
- ½ cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup cucumber, diced
- ¼ small red onion, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- 1 tbsp flaked almonds, lightly toasted
For the lemon yoghurt dressing
- ¼ cup Chobani Natural Greek Yoghurt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp honey
- Pinch of ground cumin
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Method
- Rub the Moroccan spice mixture and olive oil over the chicken.
- Cook the chicken in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat for 5–6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Allow to rest.
- Meanwhile, whisk together all of the lemon yoghurt dressing ingredients until smooth.
- Add the cooked pearl couscous, roasted pumpkin, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, chicken, fresh herbs and toasted almonds to a large bowl. Toss to combine.
- Divide between bowls, spoon over the yoghurt dressing and gently toss.
Why this makes such a satisfying lunch
A good lunch should do more than simply get you through until dinner.
This bowl combines protein from the chicken and chickpeas, carbohydrates from the pearl couscous and pumpkin, healthy fats from the almonds and olive oil, plus plenty of colourful vegetables and fresh herbs.
And then there's the dressing.
Greek yoghurt, lemon, honey and cumin create a creamy dressing that takes about a minute to make but completely transforms the bowl.
Because healthy eating doesn't need to mean plain chicken and salad every day.
Flavour matters too.
Make it your own
This is also an easy recipe to work into real life.
Making lunch for the next day? Prep the salad ahead and keep the yoghurt dressing separate until you're ready to eat.
Want to make dinner at the same time? Double the recipe and you've got a fresh, colourful meal for the family with lunch sorted for tomorrow.
And if the kids aren't interested in everything mixed together, serve the ingredients separately. Chicken, couscous, pumpkin, cucumber and tomatoes can easily become a deconstructed version using the same ingredients.
Your questions, answered
Can I meal prep this salad?
Yes. Prepare the components ahead of time and store them in the fridge. For the freshest result, keep the lemon yoghurt dressing separate and add it when you're ready to eat.
Can I use leftover chicken?
Absolutely. If you've already got cooked chicken in the fridge, this is a great way to turn leftovers into another meal. Add the Moroccan flavours where you can and assemble with the remaining salad ingredients.
Can I make it family-friendly?
Yes. If your kids aren't big salad eaters, try serving the ingredients separately rather than tossing everything together. They can choose the chicken, couscous and vegetables they enjoy.
Is this a good lunch if I'm trying to eat well?
This recipe was designed as a fresh, satisfying lunch with protein, fibre-rich ingredients and nourishing fats. More importantly, it's a meal that's colourful, enjoyable and substantial enough to actually feel like lunch.
A lunch worth looking forward to
Healthy lunches don't have to be boring, tiny or leave you counting down the minutes until your next snack.
Sometimes they're a big bowl of Moroccan chicken, pearl couscous, roasted pumpkin, crunchy vegetables and creamy lemon yoghurt dressing.
Full of colour. Full of flavour. Ready in 15 minutes.
This is the kind of lunch we could happily have on repeat.
