Moroccan Couscous

Moroccan Couscous - Enjoy this guilt-free and healthy side dish featuring couscous, chickpeas, and fresh veggies. Brimming with interesting complex flavor combinations from various herbs and spices. Extremely flavorful, savory, and minty with a citrusy zing! A quick and easy dish you can prepare in less than 20 minutes!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Moroccan

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Total Time 20

Servings - 8

Calories 286kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

300 ml chicken broth or water
1 teaspoon cumin, to be mixed with broth or water
1 ½ cup (225g) couscous
¼ cup (40g) raisins
3-4 tablespoons (42-56 ml) olive oil
1 cup (115 g) onion, diced
1 tablespoon (8 g) minced garlic
1 bell pepper, diced
1 cup (115 g) zucchini, diced
1 cup or 150g (110 g) carrots, diced
1 can chickpeas
¼ teaspoon (0.50 g) turmeric
½ teaspoon (1 g) cumin
½ teaspoon (1 g) cinnamon
½ teaspoon (1 g) allspice
1 teaspoon (2 g) coriander
3 tablespoons (45ml) lemon juice
½ cup (75 g) toasted almonds, sliced
2 tablespoons (4 g) fresh parsley, minced

Instructions

Pour chicken broth and cumin powder into the saucepan and bring to a boil. As soon it boils, remove it from the heat. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add couscous together with raisins. Pour the chicken broth mixture into the bowl of couscous.
Cover and let it sit fully covered for about 5-10 minutes or until all the broth is absorbed by the couscous. Fluff the couscous with a fork.
Heat up the saucepan with oil, then add garlic, onion, stir for a minute then add bell pepper, zucchini, carrot, and chickpeas. Saute for about 2-3 minutes. Then add turmeric, cumin, allspice, coriander, and cinnamon. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Remove sauteed veggies and add them to the bowl of couscous. Add lemon juice, sliced almonds, and parsley. Toss until combined,
Serve with this chicken tagine and garnish with parsley.

Notes

You may opt to bake the veggies instead of sauteeing them. Just line the veggies in a baking sheet and drizzle some olive oil and salt. In a preheated oven, bake the vegetables at 375 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until tender.
Moroccan Couscous can be made ahead. Just store them in an airtight container and place them inside the fridge for up to 3 days and up to 3 months in the freezer.
Replace chicken broth with vegetable broth or water to make it completely vegan.
Add chunky meat like chicken, pork, beef, and seafood to make our Moroccan couscous recipe more flavorful.
You can also add more veggies like potatoes and celery to make it more filling.
Repurpose the leftover and turn it into a sandwich wrap stuffing.
Add a dash of cayenne or pepper flakes to make it spicier.
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition