This Moroccan couscous is perfectly spiced, and bursting with hearty chickpeas, vibrant veggies, sweet raisins, and crunchy almonds. It makes a delicious and satisfying plant-based main dish, but can also be served as a side.
I'm sure I've said this before: I love couscous so much I could totally make a meal of it. Like, give me a plate of plain old couscous for dinner, and I'd be a happy camper!
But there are better ways. Couscous is good on it's own, but it's so much better when you jazz it up with veggies and spices. This Moroccan couscous is my absolute favorite way to do that. It's loaded with flavor, pretty easy to make, and comes together on one pot.
It's also so versatile! While I personally like this dish best as a main, it would also work great as a side to pair up with something like my Moroccan vegetable tagine or balsamic tofu steaks.
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Olive oil.
- Onion.
- Red bell pepper. Feel free to swap this out with a yellow or orange bell pepper, if that's what you've got.
- Carrots.
- Garlic.
- Spices. You'll need a mix of cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric.
- Vegetable broth. I used Better Than Bouillon in seasoned vegetable flavor.
- Diced tomatoes. We're using diced tomatoes in can.
- Chickpeas. Our chickpeas are also canned. Prefer to cook your chickpeas from scratch? Be my guest. You'll need about two cups.
- Zucchini. Yellow summer squash would make a nice alternative.
- Raisins. Other types of dried fruits can be used if you'd like. Cherries, dates, diced dried apricots, or currants would be delicious!
- Couscous. Make sure you're using Moroccan couscous, which is the tiny variety, and not the much larger pearl or Israeli couscous. Try my pearl couscous soup if you're looking for a recipe for that type of couscous.
- Sliced almonds. Pine nuts would be a great substitute for these, if you'd like to switch things up.
- Lemon juice. Make sure your juice is freshly squeezed — not bottled.
- Lemon zest.
- Fresh mint.
- Salt and pepper.
Tip: This is a mild dish. If you'd like to add some heat, include a bit of cayenne pepper or harissa paste.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Begin by heating your olive oil in a large pot, then adding diced onion, bell pepper, and sliced carrots. Cook the vegetables for about ten minutes, just until they start to soften.
Now stir in minced garlic, along with all of your spices. Stir everything to coat the vegetables with the spices, and cook the mixture briefly, for about a minute. Make sure to stir it often to prevent burning.
Stir in the broth, tomatoes, chickpeas, zucchini, and raisins. Bring the liquid to a simmer.
Let everything cook for about ten minutes, which should be just long enough for the broth to reduce and the veggies to soften.
Stir in the couscous, then immediately cover the pot and remove it from heat. Let it sit for five minutes. This will be just long enough for the couscous to soften and suck up all of the excess liquid.
Uncover the pot, then give it a stir. You can use a fork to fluff it like rice, if you'd like. Add the almonds, lemon juice, lemon zest, and mint. Give your Moroccan couscous a taste-test and season it with salt and pepper, if desired.
Divide the couscous among plates or bowls and dig in while it's hot!
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover Moroccan couscous will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about four days, or in the freezer for about three months. I've found the easiest way to reheat it is in the microwave. Place it in a microwave-safe bowl, cover it with a damp paper towel, and zap it until it's hot.
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📖 Recipe
Moroccan Couscous
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 (14.5 ounce/411 gram) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (15.5 ounce/439 gram) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 small zucchini, quartered and sliced
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 ½ cups dried couscous (use Morocccan couscous, not pearl couscous)
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with the olive oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the onion, bell pepper, and carrot. Sweat the vegetables for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric. Cook the mixture for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Stir in the broth, tomatoes, chickpeas, zucchini, and raisins. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and the liquid has reduced slightly.
- Stir in the couscous, then immediately remove the pot from heat and cover it. Let the pot sit with the lid on for about five minutes, until the couscous is tender and has absorbed nearly all of the liquid.
- Remove the lid from the pot. Stir in the almonds, lemon juice, lemon zest, and mint. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve.
Notes
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Delicious 😋 would recommend! I made this with quinoa as im gluten free, and added a bit of harissa as I love heat! Would definitely make again, thank you xxx