Fall

Lebanese Maftoul Couscous with Roasted Butternut Squash, Mint and Feta

by:
October 28, 2010
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Lebanese Maftoul Couscous with Roasted Butternut Squash, Mint and Feta
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

With 2 full-time working parents and 6 kids in the house ranging from a picky 7 year old to a 17 year old vegan, dinnertime can get very challenging if we don't prepare meals ahead of time. This salad is easily modified for the vegan in your life by omitting the feta but the remaining 7 people in our house enjoy the salty feta offset by the refreshing mint. The sweetness of the apples and cranberries explodes in your mouth while the couscous is infused with notes of orange and licorice from the star anise to add a little middle eastern flaire to the dish. —lisa ann

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from approximately 2 med lemons)
  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into 1/4 inch-dice
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 1 cup maftoul pearl couscous (Isreali couscous)
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
  • 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, diced (approximately 1 1/2 c)
  • 1/2 cup fresh chopped mint
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
  2. Toss squash with 2T olive oil and salt to taste in large baking pan and spread in single layer. Roast in oven for 15 minutes until squash is just tender and transfer to a separate bowl.
  3. Cook onion in 1T olive oil in skillet over medium heat stirring occasionally until golden brown and add to bowl with squash.
  4. Add star anise, bay leaf, cinnamon sticks and vegetable broth to a pot and bring to a boil. Add couscous and reduce heat to a simmer then cook for approximately 12 minutes until just tender. Remove star anise, bay leaf and cinnamon sticks, then add couscous to squash and onions in bowl.
  5. Add orange juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, pine nuts, cranberries, apples, mint and feta to bowl with squash and onions. Toss and serve at room temperature.
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3 Reviews

Karina B.
Karina B. November 2, 2019
Maftoul is Palestinian cous cous. Israeli cous cous is entirely different
 
CindyLou
CindyLou October 31, 2010
I couldn't agree with Jennifer Ann more! This recipe is a light, sweet flavor elegantly blended to make a perfect salad! I plan to make this recipe to serve for the holidays and is a perfect portable dish to take as dish to "pass".
 
Jennifer A.
Jennifer A. October 31, 2010
Everything about this recipe is delightful! The salty, sweet, tart, and earthy flavors blended together in perfect balance, and the mix of textures - chewy, creamy, crunch - were completely satisfying. This recipe was terrific on the day it was made, and even better for lunch on the next when the flavors has more time to meddle.