Roasted Vegetable Couscous

A simple and easy recipe for couscous with roasted vegetables. This is great eaten on its own or you can make it into a meal and serve as a side dish. Colourful, healthy and ready in just over 30 minutes! 

Eating healthy and sticking to a budget each week can sometimes seem tricky. I always believe delicious and nutritious food doesn’t have to be expensive, hard to make or take an eternity to prepare.

Couscous is one of my favourite ingredients to use in savoury cooking because it’s so convenient. I always have it in my kitchen cupboard along with rice and pasta. If you’re not familiar with couscous, it’s a grain that’s common in North African cuisine and is usually served with tagine and stews.

Preparing couscous is really simple and unlike most recipes I don’t even worry measuring out the water/stock I add. I usually just place the couscous in a bowl, crumble over a vegetable stock cube and then just pour enough boiling water to cover the top. I’ve always used this method of making the best fluffy couscous and it hasn’t let me down yet. What I love most about making savoury recipes is the fact you can freestyle unlike baking which is a science and where the measurements have to be exact.

Roasted vegetables are my family’s favourite and recently we’ve all made a concerted effort to eat less meat (and cake!) each week. Lately our meals have been based around using fresher ingredients and we’ve been exploring healthier vegetarian options.

I usually get fed up of vegetables like broccoli, carrot or peas that we eat so often with roast dinners. I eat roasted veggies probably two or maybe three times a week. They’re pretty much a staple part of my diet nowadays! I just love the vibrant colour and beautiful flavour when they’re all golden and roasted.

We love serving this roasted vegetable couscous with either chicken or halloumi. Both of which would be super tasty served with my homemade tzatziki! Also, I think the couscous would be fabulous to bring to a late summer BBQ, potluck or even as part of a mezze platter.

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 mixed colour bell peppers, deseeded and cut into medium chunks

8-10 small mushrooms (such as button or chestnut), cleaned and quartered

1 red onion, chopped into small chunks

1 courgette, halved lengthways and sliced into 1/2 inch quarters

Salt and black pepper, to taste

200g (1 cup) dried couscous

1 vegetable stock cube (optional)

Boiling water (see method for instructions)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Evenly spread the vegetables out onto a large baking tray. Drizzle with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss the vegetables until they’re all coated well in the oil. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until soft and starting to colour slightly.
2. Once the vegetables are near enough cooked, start preparing the couscous. Place the couscous in a large bowl that will be big enough to mix up all the vegetables in too. Crumble the stock cube over the top of the couscous, season with salt and pepper and pour over just enough boiling water to cover the top of the couscous. Cover the bowl with some clingfilm/plastic wrap and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes (I always leave mine for the full 10 minutes).
3. Now using a fork, fluff the couscous and then mix through the roasted vegetables. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot, cold or at room temperature. Couscous can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Recipe Notes:

• You don’t have to use olive oil when roasting the vegetables, you can use any light flavoured oil you have in such as canola/vegetable oil.
• If you’d like you can season the vegetables with your favourite herbs and spices before roasting. Sometimes I add some garlic powder or a pinch or two of cayenne pepper or smoked paprika. Dried oregano and thyme would also taste great with the vegetables.
• The vegetable stock cube is optional. I find it adds extra flavour to the dish but feel free to leave it out if you want.
• Swap around the vegetables. If you’d prefer to add more of a certain vegetable that will work just as well.
• Just an idea, you could crumble a little bit of Greek feta cheese into the couscous prior to serving. I’m going to try that next time I make this!

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