18 Best Couscous Recipes
on Oct 02, 2022
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If you’ve had it before, you’ll know that couscous is a versatile and tasty North African dish. This fluffy grain-like pasta is made from semolina flour or durum wheat and can be enjoyed as a complete meal with veggies and protein or as a side with stews and other saucy dishes.
If you haven’t tried it yet, we’ve got 18 of the best couscous recipes for you to try below. You’ll love how delicious, fragrant, and comforting they are.
Beef Couscous
This simple and nutritious dish features ground beef, veggies, herbs and spices. Enjoy it as a fragrant and fuss-free dinner or add it to your dinner party table as a delicious side. Either way, it’s fabulous.
Couscous With Parmesan
When you want something quick but tasty, this couscous with Parmesan is the way to go. On the table in just 8 minutes, this dish is packed full of parmesan cheese, herbs and pine nuts. Delicious!
Moroccan Couscous
Skip the baked potatoes, fries, and mac ‘n cheese for this fragrant Moroccan couscous. It’s healthy, flavorsome, and takes only minutes to cook on the stove, leaving your oven open for the main course.
Lemon Couscous
With its bright and citrusy flavor, this lemon couscous will pair beautifully with chicken, beef, lamb, pork, fish, shrimp, or vegetables! It’s delightful as is, but you can easily top it with pine nuts or slivered almonds, too.
Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Perfect for cold summer salads, Israeli couscous is a must-try. It’s a large-grained couscous that complements the zesty dressing and fresh veggies in this salad, while tomatoes, olives, feta, red onion and parsley provide that signature Mediterranean flavor.
Israeli Couscous Salad
This warm and colorful couscous salad with fennel-roasted vegetables is the ideal dish to take to a potluck or get-together. It’s easy to make and keeps well if you need to make it ahead of time.
Couscous Tabbouleh
Inspired by the classic Middle Eastern Tabbouleh salad, this golden Couscous Tabbouleh features plenty of herbs, veggies, and a light lemony dressing. It takes only 15 minutes to make, so it’s perfect for a quick but healthy lunch.
Greek Chicken Couscous Bowl
This fresh and flavorful Greek chicken couscous bowl is simple and filling, with cucumber, tzatziki, red onion, avocado, lemon, tomato, and seasonings. It’s a great dish for meal prep, or you can eat it immediately for lunch.
Stuffed Butternut Squash With Curried Couscous Salad
This gorgeous dish will make a great side for your fall holiday celebrations. Butternut squash boats are filled with spicy curried pearl couscous, sweet cranberries, crunchy pecans, and plenty of herbs.
Couscous Summer Salad
Juicy nectarines, avocados, mint, cucumbers, chickpeas, cherries, sweet corn and spiced couscous are what make this fresh summer salad utterly irresistible. It’s the perfect side, lunch, or dinner when you don’t feel like turning on the oven.
Chickpea Couscous Curry
Stay warm this winter with this heavenly bowl of curry. This vegan recipe is filled with fiber-rich chickpeas, creamy coconut milk, fresh spices, and couscous. It’s a satisfying, hearty, and nourishing dish that will instantly bring a smile to your face no matter what the weather is doing.
Breakfast Couscous Bowl With Banana And Strawberries
Start your day with this scrumptious breakfast bowl! Fluffy and tender couscous meets sliced bananas, strawberries, cinnamon and honey or maple syrup. It’s a combination you wouldn’t have thought of but won’t soon forget.
Easy Egg Fried Couscous
You know those sad vegetables in the bottom of your veggie drawer? You’ll need them for this easy midweek dinner. Whether you’ve got leftover couscous or you need to make some from scratch, this recipe is a great dish for those instances when you “have nothing to eat”.
Sweet Potato Couscous
This is bound to become one of your favorite recipes. Caramelized and roasted sweet potatoes, white beans, almonds, pesto and avocado come together in this delectable and nutritious meal. It’s sweet, tangy, crunchy and creamy all at once!
Mendocino Farms Curried Couscous With Roasted Cauliflower
This curried couscous with roasted cauliflower needs a spot on your dinner table. With its sweet and mild curry flavor, your guests will find it hard to resist.
Roasted Broccoli Salad With Couscous And Lemon Tahini
Sweet and nutty roasted broccoli is the star of this impressive salad. The bite-size florets are tossed with garlic, fresh red chili, and whole wheat pearl couscous before being dressed in a creamy lemon tahini Caesar dressing.
Mushroom Couscous
Mushrooms add a lovely meatiness to this couscous which includes flavorful vegetables, citrusy lemon zest, and fresh dill. It’s a moreish dish that goes well with just about anything, but feel free to devour it on its own for a light vegan dinner.
Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup
This fragrant and delicious dish will keep you warm and happy throughout winter. It features baked meatballs and Israeli couscous in a rich and flavorful broth spiced with Moroccan flavors. You can make it with ground lamb or beef – either way, this soup is a crowd-pleaser.
Perfect Couscous Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ cups couscous
Instructions
- Add the water, salt, unsalted butter and oil to a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil.
- Stir in the couscous, then cover tightly with a lid and remove from the heat. Allow the couscous to steam for 5 minutes.
- Using a fork, fluff the couscous and break up any clumps.
- Serve warm and enjoy immediately or transfer to a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, reheat the couscous in a microwave-safe container until hot.
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
