Easy Couscous Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to couscous for flavor? ›

Follow 1:1 Liquid to Couscous Ratio.

If you plan to cook 1 cup of couscous, you'll need 1 cup of boiling broth or water (but look at the couscous package as some may require a different ratio). Use too much liquid and your couscous will be a bit on the sticky side.

Couscous can be served as a side dish or a main meal, and goes well with beef, chicken, fish, lamb or as part of a vegetarian meal (with beans, tofu, etc.) You can also stir in additional ingredients (vegetables, nuts, dried fruit) to add something special to your couscous and make it a more substantial dish.

While couscous and white rice have almost the same amount of calories per 100 grams, couscous contains more protein and higher amounts of vitamins and minerals so can be considered a healthier option in those departments. Both grains can support weight loss when incoporated into a balanced, healthy diet.

It makes a fluffy bed for veggies, fish, and meats, and perfectly soaks up hearty Moroccan chicken or lamb stews. You can even chill your couscous and toss it into a tasty Mediterranean salad! It's true what they say about it—it's the pasta so nice, they named it twice!

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.

Cooking couscous is as easy as making a cup of tea, but there are a few secrets to getting it perfectly fluffy: Don't add too much liquid – as a guide, it's the same volume of liquid as it is to couscous. Don't leave it for too long to clump.

Use a ratio of 1½ cups of water per 1 cup of couscous. Bring the water to a boil either on the stove or in the microwave. Pour the couscous into the boiling water, cover, and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. When the granules have absorbed all the liquid, fluff the cooked couscous with a fork and serve.

Regular couscous isn't considered a whole grain but can be part of a healthy diet when properly portioned. One cup of cooked traditional couscous has about 175 calories, 6 grams of protein and 1gram of fiber.

Since it moves food quickly through your intestinal tract, fiber can help prevent constipation. A higher-fiber diet can also lower your odds of intestinal and breast cancers. Whole wheat couscous can be a healthy swap for refined white pasta or white rice.

What is so special about couscous? ›

Couscous is a useful source of a number of vitamins and minerals, including immune-supportive selenium. This essential mineral acts as an antioxidant and plays an important role in thyroid function and thyroid hormone production.

Enhance the flavour profile of your couscous by infusing it with aromatic herbs and spices. Add some cumin, paprika or turmeric (or create a spice mix that you love) to the cooking water for a subtle warmth and depth.

Serve it as a side dish.

Below, you'll find my favorite way to prepare this tiny pasta as a simple side dish. I toss it with herbs, lemon juice, pine nuts, and olive oil to make a bright, refreshing pilaf. It pairs nicely with any protein, vegetable main dish, or soup!

While many believe that it is a type of grain, such as rice or barley, it is actually a type of pasta. (Hint: some grocery stores may stock couscous in the pasta section, but most will often stock it in the grain section, next to the rice). Couscous is pasta made from semolina flour mixed with water.

But, the key term here is "prepared correctly," and if you're cooking your couscous with just water, you're doing both the pasta and your palate a great disservice. Instead, use a different cooking liquid that will impart greater flavor to that super-absorbent, impressionable couscous.

I cook couscous with a third more water then the amount of cous cous, then throw some butter in to stop it drying out. Big fan of cous cous, it just takes on any flavour you throw at it, soy sauce, chicken stock, chilli sauce, whatever. All good.

In Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, it is generally served with vegetables (carrots, potatoes, and turnips) cooked in a spicy or mild broth or stew, usually with some meat (generally, chicken, lamb, or mutton).

While many believe that it is a type of grain, such as rice or barley, it is actually a type of pasta. (Hint: some grocery stores may stock couscous in the pasta section, but most will often stock it in the grain section, next to the rice). Couscous is pasta made from semolina flour mixed with water.