One Pan Mediterranean Couscous Bowl
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This Mediterranean couscous bowl recipe is the simple, tasty lunch you’ve been waiting for. It’s a one pan wonder, that is full of veggies and ready in around half an hour!
We love coming up with couscous lunch ideas because couscous is just so easy to prepare and provides the perfect canvas for a multitude of other flavours.
You don’t even need to cook couscous really- just cover it in boiling water and let it fluff up of its own accord.
Previously, we’ve done a couscous and pear salad and a lentil tabbouleh made with couscous instead of bulgar wheat. Both of those went down a treat!
For this couscous bowl, we use smoky paprika, fragrant rosemary and tangy capers as seasoning. Saffron is optional, if you’re feeling a bit lush!
It’s drizzled with a minty yogurt sauce, to add a fresh, creamy bite to your bowl!
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Mediterranean couscous bowl – of couscous it’s healthy!
I was really scraping the bottom of the barrel with that pun! So moving swiftly onwards, how do we make this a healthy couscous recipe? We focus on the usual suspects: fresh veggies, protein, fat and fibre!
Fresh veggies add plenty of important nutrients, helping you get your 5 a day. In our couscous bowl, you’ll get leeks, pepper and cherry tomatoes.
Protein is important for general well being and muscle maintenance, as well as helping to fill you up! This dish contains 25g protein per serving.
Fibre is important for many reasons: it regulates your digestive system, lowers cholesterol and helps control blood sugar levels. Like protein, fibre helps you to feel full.
This dish contains 18g fibre per serving, thanks again to all those veggies!
Dishes that are high in protein and fibre also tend to be good for weight loss, because they are very filling.
So for the calories you eat, you will be kept full for longer than if you ate the equivalent amount but with less protein and fibre.
Check out our vegetarian weight loss e-book if you want to learn more about healthy weight loss as a veggie!
In terms of fat, we like to keep saturated fat levels low, and include a healthy amount of unsaturated fats, which are a really important part of your diet!
A lovely lunch or a scrummy side!
A simple couscous recipe like this you can whip up in no time and use in many different ways.
Double or triple the quantities and take it to work with you for a quick and easy lunch. You could mix up some of the yogurt dressing in advance, but we wouldn’t recommend leaving that for more than a couple of days.
You could also serve it as a couscous side dish, alongside something like this Mexican bean stew!
If you want a gluten free version, you could replace couscous with quinoa or buckwheat! This is a vegetarian couscous recipe but for a vegan version, switch the yogurt for soy yogurt.
There’s a couscous bowl recipe for everyone!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium leek
- 2 tbsp capers
- 2 clove garlic
- 3 tsp paprika powder
- 3 small sprigs of rosemary
- 5 oz bell pepper, red (1 medium-small red bell pepper)
- 2 cup peas
- ⅔ cup couscous
- 1 ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp mint, fresh
- 4 tbsp soy yogurt (or low fat Greek yogurt)
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- 4 tbsp parsley, fresh (chopped)
- 1 lemon (or ½ per taste)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ tsp saffron threads (optional)
Instructions
- Slice leeks, garlic. Dice red bell peppers and halve the tomatoes.1 medium leek, 2 clove garlic, 5 oz bell pepper, red, 10 cherry tomatoes
- In a large pan add the olive oil over high heat. Add the leek and capers and cook until they brown.1 ½ tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp capers
- Add garlic, paprika and saffron threads if using. Cook for 1 minute until the aroma from the paprika and saffron comes out.3 tsp paprika powder, ¼ tsp saffron threads
- Add fresh rosemary, red bell pepper, peas, and cook until the bell peppers soften and the peas are tender. Season with pepper and salt.3 small sprigs of rosemary, 2 cup peas
- Add couscous and vegetable broth. Once the liquid boils, mix and put a lid on and rest for 5-10 minutes, depending on your brand of couscous.⅔ cup couscous, 1 ¼ cup vegetable broth
- Mix yogurt with mint, 2 tbsp water and salt.2 tbsp mint, fresh, 4 tbsp soy yogurt, Salt and pepper to taste
- Use a fork to fluff couscous and add halved cherry tomatoes. Taste and add extra salt if necessary. Drizzle lemon juice to taste and chopped parsley. Serve with mint yogurt sauce.4 tbsp parsley, fresh, 1 lemon
NOTES
Nutrition
Dave Bell
I’m not a foodie, although I do love eating. I believe food should serve us and our goals, not hinder. Taking control and responsibility for what I eat is important to me. Lots of veggie protein is my way forward.
Abril Macías
Creator of this wonderful recipe!
I am a culinary creator and food photographer from Quito, Ecuador. I have a Master’s degree in New Food Thinking and a Bachelor’s degree in Gastronomy, my expertise lies in crafting and capturing creative dishes. Collaborating with websites and blogs worldwide, I develop recipes and bring them to life through captivating photographs.
I dedicate my work in the kitchen and through the lens to explore food from different backgrounds, origins and diets. I would describe my style as “comfort food with a twist”. My goal is to create recipes that are homely, yet attractive, delicious and have something different and exiting to them.
This article has been medically reviewed by James LeBaigue MSc Learn More
James LeBaigue MSc
James has a Masters Degree in Sport and Exercise Nutrition, as well as an Advanced Diploma in Human Nutrition.
He loves combining his scientific knowledge along with food in the real world, and these recipes are the result.
He’s on top of all the latest evidence and guidelines to make sure our nutrition advice on the website is as accurate as it can be.
By day he works as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner in a busy NHS GP Practice.
Each recipe is tested and then eaten (much to James’ delight), many times before it is deemed worthy to be published. Bon appetit!
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