Moroccan Chickpeas & Couscous Recipe

How to Cook Couscous with an Easy and Delicious Recipe

This quick easy couscous casserole recipe was sent to us several years ago by Fran Lochbihler. We thought it looked delicious, and put it on the testing list, where it languished until now. Apologies to Fran, and to Savvy Vegetarian visitors for keeping this gem hidden all that time!

Fran said about her couscous recipe, "It's totally awesome and my family loves it! My son, who is 15 months, could eat the whole recipe, if I let him! Do be sure to try it for yourself because I think it's that great!" We think so too, and we also loved our gluten free version, with millet.

We were impressed because we've always found that small children + couscous = big mess. But in this couscous recipe, the moisture pulls the couscous together into a spoonable form, the raisins and cucumbers are familiar friends, and it's very colorful and tasty instead of bland and boring.

Menu Suggestions: We ate this all by itself, as a meal in a bowl, but a green salad or sautéed greens would've been nice on the side. Kid friendly steamed broccoli & carrots would also go well with Moroccan Couscous.

Cooking Tips:

I took a few liberties with Fran's original recipe.

I used whole wheat couscous, which is firmer, and needed a few minutes more cooking. I added the couscous to the boiling water, rather than the other way around. Since I didn't have a cucumber, I used zucchini, but cucumber would've been better.

I made a gluten free version with millet, which looks & acts like couscous, only more substantial. Millet takes about 20 minutes to cook, so it should be pre-cooked before adding to this recipe.

Instead of vegetable stock, I used an unsalted vegan vegetable bouillon cube, dissolving it in the boiling water first. I added chopped parsley to the recipe for contrast and vitamins.

I reduced the cumin and left out the cayenne pepper, for our tastes. Feel free to omit and substitute with the flavorings in this recipe.

4 Large Servings: Moroccan Couscous is also excellent served cold as a salad.

Nutrition Data Per Serving, 191g: 298 calories, 1 g saturated fat, 60 calories from fat, 11 g sugars, 51g carbohydrate, 7 g fat, 162 mg sodium, 5 g dietary fiber, 9 g protein, 12% DV Vit A, 21% DV Vit C, 7% DV Calcium, 11% DV Iron, low in Saturated Fat, very low in Cholesterol, good source of Manganese. Estimated glycemic load: 30.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 + 1/2 cups vegetable stock OR water + 1 unsalted vegetable bouillon cube
• 1 cup couscous
• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas OR 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 3 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, bring 1 1/4 cups stock to a boil
2. Add couscous, stir and cover. Set aside.
3. Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or sauté pan
4. Add onion and garlic, cook stirring until soft
5. Add tomatoes and stir until soft
6. Stir in cucumber and spices, cook for 1 minute
7. Add chickpeas, raisins, almonds and remaining 1/2 cup stock
8. Bring to a boil, and add couscous
9. Turn off heat, cover and let stand 1 or 2 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed by the couscous
10. Add chopped parsley, fluff with a fork and serve

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