This Moroccan couscous recipe is a simplified, vegan version of the traditional dish, filled with sweet raisins, crunchy almonds and It might not be authentic, but it makes for an easy, flavorful side dish. Serve it warm with roasted vegetables or your favorite protein.
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Why I love this Moroccan couscous recipe
Side dishes can be hard sometimes. For me, they tend to be an afterthought, which means they can get be pretty basic – like roasted broccoli or mashed potatoes.
But, this year, I decided to give side dishes the time of day, and I’ve intentionally been working on more easy, flavorful side dish recipes, like saffron rice, Instant Pot baked beans and kale salad with homemade caesar dressing.
I made this Moroccan couscous to pair with my sweet and spicy shrimp with homemade Moroccan seasoning, but I’ve also served it with my meatball tagine recipe, too. I wanted it to pair well together without overdoing the seasonings, so I just added a hint of cumin and cinnamon with a mix of raisins and toasted nuts.
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I used almonds, but you can use any nuts you have on hand (maybe not peanuts, but they might work). I think toasted pine nuts or pistachios would be a great option.
What is couscous?
Before we go any further, I just want to touch on this in case couscous is new to you. Couscous is basically a super tiny pasta made from durum or semolina wheat flour.
It ranges in size from tiny, like I used in this recipe, or a bit larger, like you can see in this pearl couscous recipe.
So, while it’s definitely a pasta, I tend to treat it more like grain (like rice or quinoa) when cooking with it. Mostly because it’s so small.
Sauté the savories. Heat a large saucepan to medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic and spices to the pan. Sauté them until the onions are translucent, stirring them as need to prevent burning.
Boil the vegetable broth. When the onions are soft and see-through, add the broth. Cover the pot, increase the heat and bring it to a boil.
Add the couscous. Remove the pot from the heat and add the couscous, salt & pepper to the boiling broth. Return the cover and let the couscous sit, with not heat, until it absorbs all of the liquid.
Garnish and serve. Fluff the couscous with a fork and stir in the raisins, almonds and parsley before serving.
Frequently asked questions:
What can I add to couscous for flavor?
Vegetable broth can do a great deal for the flavor of couscous, as can salt. I used that as a base for this recipe and other savory ingredients, like onion, garlic and herbs, to add even more flavor.
Should I rinse couscous before cooking?
No. Unlike grains such as quinoa and rice, you don’t need to rinse couscous before cooking.
A little fat goes a long way in keeping couscous moist. I’ve added two tablespoons of olive oil to this recipe to prevent it from drying out.
Is couscous a protein or carb?
Couscous is made from wheat, so it is considered a carb. It does contain some protein, but there are significantly more carbohydrates in each serving.
This would be great with:
Greek meatballs
Grilled chicken thighs
Pecan crusted salmon
Wheat berry salad
Olive oil brownies
More easy side dish recipes:
Italian green beans
Crispy brussels sprouts
Coconut rice
Vegan mashed potatoes
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Easy, Moroccan Couscous Recipe
★★★★★4.8 from 4 reviews
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This Moroccan couscous recipe is a simplified, vegan version of the traditional dish, filled with sweet raisins, crunchy almonds and herbs. It might not be authentic, but it makes for an easy, flavorful side dish. Serve it warm with roasted vegetables or your favorite protein.
Heat a large saucepan to medium-high. Add olive oil, onion, garlic and spices. Sauté until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally – about 5 minutes.
Add broth. Cover the pot and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat stir in couscous. Let sit for 10 minutes, or until the couscous has absorbed the broth.
Stir in raisins, almonds and parsley before serving.
Category:Side Dish
Method:Stovetop
Cuisine:Moroccan
Nutrition
Serving Size:
Calories:230
Sugar:4.6 g
Sodium:356.5 mg
Fat:8.2 g
Saturated Fat:0.9 g
Carbohydrates:33.6 g
Fiber:3.2 g
Protein:6.4 g
Cholesterol:0 mg
Keywords: dairy free, vegan, easy
Published: June 12, 2020. Updated: November 23, 2021.
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Couscous is a staple dish in many North African countries including Morocco, a country I dream of visiting one day. While it resembles a tiny grain of rice or quinoa, couscous is pasta. It's made from semolina flour (semolina is a flour made from durum wheat and is used in most traditional kinds of pasta) and water.
Cooking couscous is easy, especially once you nail the couscous water ratio! You'll need 1 ¼ cups water or broth per 1 cup of Golden Couscous. After you bring your water or broth to a boil with a ½ teaspoon of salt, add your couscous.
All couscous is made from semolina. Semolina is the name we give to flour that is ground from durum wheat. Durum wheat is a very hard wheat, higher in protein than the wheat all-purpose flour is made from. Semolina is golden yellow and gives couscous a nuttier taste than a pasta made with all-purpose flour.
Herbs: Couscous will always be better with a fresh lift of herbs. Chopped coriander and parsley are classic accompaniments, mint is excellent and you could also try other soft leaves such as basil. Lemon: Grated lemon rind and a squeeze of juice will add extra zing.
I added a pinch of ground cumin, chopped parsley, dill, and green onions. I also added a couple of garlic cloves that have been minced and sauteed in extra virgin olive oil. Once you add the flavor makers of your choice, give the couscous another toss to combine, and transfer to a serving platter. Enjoy!
Traditionally, Tagine cooks in a conical-shaped two-piece terra-cotta pot, called a tagine, over low heat with meat, veggies, olive oil and spices. Couscous cooks in a couscoussier, a taller metal pot with a slightly bulbous base, a steamer and a lid.
The proportions for cooking couscous are generally 1:1.
A little less water makes drier couscous, good for salads or serving with sauces. A little more water makes softer and slightly sticky couscous. One cup of dried couscous makes about four cups of cooked couscous.
Couscous is packed with nutrients and has better selenium per serving than white rice when it comes to selenium and other elements. It is light and filling, making it a good choice for busy professionals, families and people who don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen to prepare a healthy, delicious meal.
Only boiling water is needed to cook your couscous, but the important bit is the couscous to water ratio, you should abide by the 1:1 rule. So, for 60g of couscous, you will need 60ml of boiling water.
There's no need to wash or rinse the couscous before cooking it as it doesn't contain starch. The butter/oil is optional, but it will help the grains to separate so it's recommended. Add the couscous to boiling water, and then take it off of the heat to avoid it overcooking.
Moroccan couscous: Tiny grains of semolina are about three times the size of a grain of cornmeal. This type cooks very quickly. Israeli couscous: These semolina pellets are about the size of peppercorns and will take much longer to cook. This type is usually steamed in the traditional long-cooking method.
Couscous is not gluten-free, but quinoa is gluten-free. Compared to couscous, quinoa has stronger anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. With 7 percent fewer calories per 100 grams of cooked couscous than quinoa, it is healthier for weight loss. Every 100 grams of cooked quinoa has 120 calories.
If your couscous is always boring and flat-tasting, try cooking it in something besides plain water. Couscous has a natural nutty flavor that isn't exactly explosive, but can be enhanced to great effect by a flavorful liquid.
In its simplest and most traditional iteration, couscous granules are formed by mixing coarsely ground grains (typically in the form of semolina) with water and rolling them between the palms of your hands to form tiny beads.
Rich in selenium, couscous can help boost your immune system and reduce your risk of some diseases like cancer. Nevertheless, while couscous has health and nutrition benefits, it may not be the best carb choice for everyone. It contains gluten, making it off limits for some.
The main difference between pearl couscous and Moroccan couscous is the size. The grains of Moroccan couscous are much smaller, compared to the pea-size granules in the pearl variety (made memorable by their namesake). This, of course, affects the preparation and cooking time of each grain.
Pearl couscous is slightly larger than Moroccan and Golden Couscous and readily absorbs the flavors of the herbs, spices and liquid that you are cooking it with.
Introduction: My name is Kareem Mueller DO, I am a vivacious, super, thoughtful, excited, handsome, beautiful, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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