Vegetable Couscous (One Pan)
To make this simple vegetarian baked couscous, roast Mediterranean style veggies, then add dry couscous and broth, cover and bake. Serve as an easy vegetable side, or turn it into a satisfying meal by adding halloumi, salmon, or another protein — perfect for dinner, a BBQ side, or a make-ahead lunch!
Servings: 4
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Greek couscous
- 3 peppers (green, red, yellow, or a mixture, chopped into medium sized pieces)
- 1 zucchini sliced into thick slices and halved or quartered
- 1 large onion (red or white), chopped into medium sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes (or other small tomatoes, or even bigger tomatoes, chopped)
- ¾ cup Kalamata olives pitted
- ¾ cup couscous (or 5 ounces - dried)
- 1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 cup broth vegetable or chicken
To add at the end
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons vinegar (I like apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Greek yogurt or tzatziki, lemon wedges and toasted pita bread (if you like) to serve
- grilled/pan-fried halloumi, salmon, chicken or other protein (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 355F/180C (convection/fan oven) or 375 F/190 C (regular oven).
- Put the chopped peppers, zucchini, and onion in a large roasting or baking dish. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and toss well. Roast for 20 minutes.3 peppers, 1 zucchini, 1 large onion, 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the tomatoes and olives and roast for another 10 minutes.1½ cups cherry tomatoes, ¾ cup Kalamata olives
- Take the pan out of the oven. Scatter the couscous and oregano over the vegetables, then pour over the broth (stock). Cover tightly with aluminium foil and bake for 10 minutes more.¾ cup couscous, 1.5 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 cup broth
- Meanwhile, you can prepare any protein you want to serve along with the dish, such as halloumi, salmon or meat.grilled/pan-fried halloumi, salmon, chicken or other protein
- Remove the couscous and vegetables from the oven and fluff up with a fork. Mix together the olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice and stir through the dish.2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Serve topped with your chosen protein (if you like), big spoonfuls of Greek yogurt or tzatziki, and toasted pita bread (if you like).Greek yogurt or tzatziki, lemon wedges and toasted pita bread (if you like)
Notes
Varying it: You can vary the veggies you use in this dish. I find sweet potato and eggplant work particularly well, as do mushrooms and asparagus (add mushrooms and asparagus at the same time as the tomatoes and olives since they too don't take much time to cook).
How to serve: This dish is nice served by itself, but it's also delicious with some baked salmon on the side. But actually any kind of grilled fish or meat would go well.
Another one of my favorite ways to serve it is with pan-fried halloumi (just grill slices in a dry frying pan for a couple of minutes on each side) - about 9 ounces/250 grams.
Not a fan of couscous? You can use brown rice, quinoa, farro, bulgur wheat or giant couscous (pasta) instead. In this case though stir it through cooked when you add the dressing and omit the stock/broth.
Nutrition
Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Sodium: 648mg | Potassium: 539mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 940IU | Vitamin C: 98mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg
