Why you’ll love this Moroccan couscous recipe
Side dishes can be hard sometimes. For me, they tend to be an afterthought, which means they can get be pretty basic – like roasted broccoli or mashed potatoes.
But, this year, I decided to give side dishes the time of day, and I’ve intentionally been working on more easy, flavorful side dish recipes, like saffron rice, Instant Pot baked beans and kale salad with homemade caesar dressing.
I made this Moroccan couscous to pair with my sweet and spicy shrimp with homemade Moroccan seasoning, but I’ve also served it with my meatball tagine recipe, too. I wanted it to pair well together without overdoing the seasonings, so I just added a hint of cumin and cinnamon with a mix of raisins and toasted nuts.
I used almonds, but you can use any nuts you have on hand. I think toasted pine nuts or pistachios would be a great option!
What is couscous?
Before we go any further, I just want to touch on this in case couscous is new to you. Couscous is basically a super tiny pasta made from durum or semolina wheat flour.
It ranges in size from tiny, like I used in this recipe, or a bit larger, like you can see in this pearl couscous recipe.
So, while it’s definitely a pasta, I tend to treat it more like grain (like rice or quinoa) when cooking with it. Mostly because it’s so small.
Here’s what you’ll need to make it
How to make Moroccan couscous
- Sauté the savories. Heat a large saucepan to medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic and spices to the pan. Sauté them until the onions are translucent, stirring them as need to prevent burning.
- Boil the vegetable broth. When the onions are soft and see-through, add the broth. Cover the pot, increase the heat and bring it to a boil.
- Add the couscous. Remove the pot from the heat and add the couscous, salt & pepper to the boiling broth. Return the cover and let the couscous sit, with not heat, until it absorbs all of the liquid.
- Garnish and serve. Fluff the couscous with a fork and stir in the raisins, almonds and parsley before serving.
Frequently asked questions
Vegetable broth can do a great deal for the flavor of couscous, as can salt. I used that as a base for this recipe and other savory ingredients, like onion, garlic and herbs, to add even more flavor.
No. Unlike grains such as quinoa and rice, you don’t need to rinse couscous before cooking.
A little fat goes a long way in keeping couscous moist. I’ve added two tablespoons of olive oil to this recipe to prevent it from drying out.
Couscous is made from wheat, so it is considered a carb. It does contain some protein, but there are significantly more carbohydrates in each serving.
This would be great with:
More easy side dish recipes:
Easy, Moroccan Couscous Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups couscous
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup toasted, sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat a large saucepan to medium-high. Add olive oil, onion, garlic and spices. Sauté until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally – about 5 minutes.
- Add broth. Cover the pot and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat stir in couscous. Let sit for 10 minutes, or until the couscous has absorbed the broth.
- Stir in raisins, almonds and parsley before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
My husband absolutely loved this. I added Moroccan flavored turkey breast and it was an absolute hit!
I made this twice now using the pearl couscous and it is delicious. I used toasted almonds. I pair it with Moroccan lamb stew. The second time I made it for guests and they loved it and requested the recipe. Both times it took longer for the pearls to absorb the broth than described in the recipe so I was worried it wouldn’t turn out right – so be patient. I also left the heat on low until liquid fully absorbed. Next time i might try a slight reduction of broth.
I am allergic to cinnamon so i left it out but it was still amazing. Everyone in my household loved it
Simple and quick side dish that the whole family enjoyed.
This was absolutely fabulous! Perfect combination of sweet and savoury. I used whole wheat couscous and dried cranberries instead of raisins. A perfect little lunch
Do you put coucous in dry or cooked
You want to put the couscous in dry.
Hi, I am Moroccan and although your recipe looks delicious, usually this is not what we refer to as Moroccan couscous. Moroccan couscous is a meal, or a type of meal that implies:
– couscous
– A veggie stew (I Use zucchini, carrots, green cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes and onions + spices)
– Lamb or chicken meat (optional, you can replace with chickpeas)
I like to top it with onion and raisins slowly cooked together with a pinch of cinnamon and ginger.
There is another version of couscous preparation that is sweet and it is usually made of plain couscous with cinnamon and confectionner sugar and you eat it with milk (like rice pudding) it is called “couscous tfaya) but this is not what we usually refer to as “Moroccan Couscous”.
This is the best reply
Hi how long will this last for? I wanted to make this as a pack up for my daughter. Would it last a few days in the fridge?
This recipe will last for about 4 – 5 days in the fridge. I would recommend leaving out the nuts until serving so they don’t lose their texture.
I made this for a Casablanca theme night and my husband, a notoriously picky eater, went wild over it. It’s become a regular side dish. Easy to make, still delicious reheated.
If I want to use Israeli couscous how would I alter the recipe?
You might just need to adjust the amount of liquid. I would have to test it to know the exact liquid-to-couscous ratio, but it wouldn’t be too much different. If you try it, let me know!