Honey Harissa Turkey Bowls with Couscous Carrot Salad

Flavor-packed and nutritious, these Honey Harissa Turkey Bowls with Couscous Carrot Salad are just the thing to “spice” up your weekly rotation of dinners. Perfect for meal prepping, the couscous carrot salad holds up well in the fridge, and the spiced turkey can be served warm or chilled. Take it up a notch with additional harissa paste, or cool it down and top with creamy avocado and feta (optional) for a variety of flavors and textures. This recipe is featured in my 30-20-10 series highlighting 30-minute meals with at least 20 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber.

Honey Harissa Turkey Bowls with Couscous Carrot Salad Ingredient Notes:

Harissa paste: Commonly used in many North African dishes, harissa paste is made up of ground chili peppers, olive oil, garlic, and salt. I prefer to use a mild harissa paste, which brings a smoky, earthy spice to the dish. You can opt for more or less depending on your spice preference.

Mint: Fresh mint provides a herby, cooling component against the spicy harissa paste. You can also use additional parsley instead, but I highly recommend mint, as it brings brightness to the dish that contrasts nicely with the spiced turkey.

Couscous: Despite popular belief, couscous is actually a type of small pasta rather than a grain like rice. It cooks quickly, making it perfect for simple weeknight dinners, and absorbs the flavor of sauces and dressings it is mixed with.

Avocado: Topping the dish with creamy avocado adds a variety of textures and flavors and offsets the heat of the harissa paste. Adding back some healthy fats, avocado is full of fiber and gut-healthy properties, keeping you fuller longer.

Honey Harissa Turkey Bowls with Couscous Carrot Salad

Recipe by Jenn Lueke

5.0 from 10 votes

Servings

Adjust servings

+

–

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cook time

15

minutes

Flavor-packed and nutritious, these Honey Harissa Turkey Bowls with Couscous Carrot Salad are just the thing to “spice” up your weekly rotation of dinners. Perfect for meal prepping, the couscous carrot salad holds up well in the fridge, and the spiced turkey can be served warm or chilled. Take it up a notch with additional harissa paste, or cool it down and top with creamy avocado and feta (optional) for a variety of flavors and textures. This recipe is featured in my 30-20-10 series highlighting 30-minute meals with at least 20 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber.

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Ingredients

• FOR THE CARROT COUSCOUS SALAD

• 1 cup gluten-free couscous, quinoa, or regular pearl couscous

• juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon harissa paste (I use mild, if you prefer spicier, you can use spicy)

• 1 tablespoon raw honey

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• kosher salt

• ground black pepper

• 10 ounces pre-shredded carrots or 6 large carrots, cut into thin matchsticks (about 3 cups)

• 1 red bell pepper, cored and small-diced

• 1/2 cup roughly chopped parsley leaves

• roughly chopped mint leaves, for topping (optional but encouraged)

• 1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced*

• FOR THE HONEY HARISSA TURKEY

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 1 pound ground turkey

• 2 tablespoons harissa paste

• 2 tablespoons raw honey

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

• Cook the quinoa or couscous according to package instructions.
• Meanwhile, make the honey harissa turkey: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the turkey and cook, breaking up any large pieces of meat, until the turkey is browned all over, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Stir in the harissa paste, honey, salt, and black pepper and continue cooking until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• While the turkey cools, assemble the salad: Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, harissa paste, honey, garlic powder, and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Taste and add additional salt if desired. To the same bowl, add the cooked couscous, carrots, bell pepper, and parsley. Toss to coat in the dressing.
• Assemble the bowls: Evenly divide the couscous salad and ground turkey among 4 bowls. Top with mint leaves (if using) and diced avocado.

Notes

• Store it: Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Store the turkey separately from the salad if you want to reheat it or enjoy chilled, and top with the avocado.
• Reheat it: (Optional) Microwave the steak until warm, about 2 minutes.
• If you’re prepping this one ahead, I recommend leaving the avocado out until serving for best results.
• A sprinkle of crumbled feta on top makes these bowls extra creamy and salty. I highly recommend it!

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