Easy couscous recipe

Easy couscous recipe with colourful vegetables, touch of chilli and a squeeze of lemon. The perfect healthy side or main dish that packs a punch!

I know you might be surprised but although I love spending time in the kitchen making and baking, I don't want to spend the the whole day there.

I wish I had the time to do so, but I just haven't, plus I have a family, so time is precious when you have to cook in between school homework, park visits and managing the busy social calendar of my 5 year old daughter packed with birthday invitations. She goes out more than I do!

Fast, cheap, healthy, easy to prepare and filling, what's not to love about couscous? Perfect for weekdays evenings or midweek lunches, it never disappoints and can be largely prepared ahead.

Use it as a side dish, in summer salads or a great accompaniment to curries or tagines. Also great for students.

Easy couscous recipe

I always create simple, quick recipes and couscous is one of my cupboard staples because it is quick and easy to cook and goes with just about everything.

Like today's recipe which got created with ingredients that happened to be in the fridge and it turned out to be very nice, light, refreshing and filling. Sounds just like me :-))) Let's get cooking ..

How do you cook couscous?

It's so easy, here is what you do:

• Boil the kettle
• Pour the boiling hot water in a bowl, stir in the couscous, cover and let it sit for 5 - 10 minutes
• Get a fork and stir up the couscous until light and fluffy. 
• If you want it extra tasty, use vegetable stock instead of water

Here's the easy couscous recipe

Easy couscous recipe

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Easy couscous recipe with colourful vegetables, touch of chilli and a squeeze of lemon. The perfect healthy side or main dish that packs a punch!

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Ingredients

• 1 cup dry couscous (I used Crazy Jack Organic)
• 1,5 cups vegetable stock (I used Kallo)
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• ½ onion diced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Coconut oil for frying
• ½ red pepper diced
• ½ green pepper diced
• ½ carrot diced
• ½ courgette/zucchini diced
• Handful of chopped parsley
• Handful of chopped mint
• Juice from half a lemon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp chilli

Instructions

1. Start by heating the coconut oil in a pan. Add the diced onion and fry until soft. Stir in the garlic and ground cumin and fry for another minute.
2. Next add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Remove the pan from the hob and mix in the cous cous. Cover with a lid and let it sit for 10 min or until the liquid has been absorbed.
3. In the meantime get another pan and heat a bit of coconut oil. Add the peppers, carrots, courgette and fry until soft. Add chilli, season well and taste.
4. Once soft tip the fried veggies in a bowl, add the cous cous, parsley, mint, lemon juice and give it a good stir.
5. Season and leave to stand for a good hour for the flavours to develop and mix together.

Fluffy couscous with loads of veggies. Easy enough? I hope so. If you are looking for another recipe for couscous salad have a little look at my Cranberry and Aprit Couscous. Or how about trying my Egg Fried Cauliflower Rice, which is another light, yet filling side or main dish.

Where to find couscous you ask? Nowadays almost every supermarket has it in stock, just check the section where lentils and barley are. If you can go for whole wheat couscous. Make sure you pin this recipe too!

As always please if you make this recipe share it with me on my Facebook or Instagram, I love seeing you creations #hedihearts.

Much love,
Hedi