Give regular couscous a colorful makeover by adding a bunch of veggies and earthy Moroccan spices.
This Moroccan Couscous is not only an ideal dish next to any of your chicken, beef or fish dishes, but it can be a stand alone light vegetarian lunch option.
Brimming with flavors and textures, you will absolutely love this couscous, which can be made in under 20 minutes. Try this with our Moroccan Harissa Chicken for a great exotic meal!
We absolutely love our Moroccan flavors on GypsyPlate. From our finger licking Beef Tagine, to addictive Zaalouk eggplant dip, to zingy Chermoula sauce and healthy Moroccan Lentil Soup, there is plenty of flavors in this amazing African cuisine.
Most of them use simple pantry staples, plus some of the exotic earthy spices this land is famous for.
Let’s try making couscous with Moroccan flavors. It will turn into that pretty looking side dish that people will come asking for again and again.
What Is Couscous?
Couscous is a staple dish in many North African countries, including Morocco. While it resembles a tiny grain of rice or quinoa, couscous is a pasta! It’s made from a dry mixture of semolina and water, that’s rolled into very tiny irregular pieces.
Because it is so small, couscous cooks in a matter of minutes, making it a fabulous choice for a last-minute side.
How to Cook Couscous
Couscous cooks in a flash. Most of the time, instructions are on the back of the package. But here is how to do it…
- Measure a 1:1 ratio of couscous to salted water or chicken stock.
- Bring the water or stock to a boil.
- Stir in the couscous, cover the pot, and remove it from the heat. (Today we added raisins along with the couscous)
- Let it stand for 5 minutes.
- Fluff it with a fork.
Ingredients for this Moroccan Couscous recipe
- Dry couscous – today we used multi-colored
- Veggies – bell pepper, onion, carrot, and zucchini
- Spices – ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cinnamon, turmeric powder
- Flavor enhancers – chicken stock, garlic, lemon, raisins, almonds, chickpeas, parsley, pomegranate arils
- Olive oil
How to Make Moroccan Couscous
1. Make couscous as instructed above, along with raisins, and plate it out in a big serving bowl.
2. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan and sauté onion and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes. Add in zucchini and chickpeas, along with spices and salt and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add in grated carrots and cook for another 2 minutes.
3. Mix this vegetable mixture with the prepared couscous.
4. Toss with lemon juice, chopped parsley and almonds. Garnish generously with Pomegranate arils.
Some Variations
- Use any of your favorite veggies like green beans, corn, peas, or cherry tomatoes to give it a different flavor profile.
- Use toasted pine nuts instead of almonds.
- Add in cooked chicken, like leftover rotisserie chicken or roast chicken for a complete meal. Grilled or leftover shrimp would go beautifully too. Or try some flank steak strips over this couscous.
Leftovers and Storing Tips
This makes a great leftover. You would love pairing this with a variety of mains, so go ahead and make a big batch.
To Store. Place leftover couscous in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To Reheat. Gently heat up leftovers in a large skillet on the stove over medium-low heat. You can also reheat this dish in the microwave.
To Freeze. Let the couscous cool completely, then store it in an airtight storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
This summer, make this Moroccan Couscous and enjoy it for your potluck parties and summer get togethers. It’s a quick fix side dish that can pair so well with anything and everything.
Plus, all the people will be simply amazed at the great flavors that can be achieved with so many unique ingredients that work perfectly together.
Try these new easy exotic flavors in your couscous and keep on coming back to GypsyPlate!
Moroccan Couscous, in our Gypsy Bowl… enjoy!
Try these other great sides from around the world!
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Arroz con Gandules
Cherry Tomato Confit
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Green Beans Almondine
Dirty Rice
Moroccan Couscous
Give regular couscous a colorful makeover by adding a bunch of veggies and earthy spices. This Moroccan Couscous recipe is a great side dish that goes with a variety of mains.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup chicken stock
- 1.5 cup dry couscous
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 15oz can chickpeas, drained
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- Pomegranate arils, for garnish
Instructions
- Bring chicken stock to a boil. Add the couscous and raisins to the boiling stock.
- Cover the pot and remove it from the heat. Let it stand for 5 minutes, then fluff it with a fork. Plate it out in a big serving bowl.
- Heat olive oil in a sauté pan and sauté onion, garlic and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes. Add in zucchini and chickpeas, along with spices and salt, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add in grated carrots and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Mix the vegetable mixture with prepared couscous.
- Toss with lemon juice, chopped parsley and almonds. Garnish generously with pomegranate arils.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 319Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 1mgSodium 207mgCarbohydrates 48gFiber 8gSugar 15gProtein 10g
Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.
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