| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 45 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh cilantro (leaves and some stems)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley (stems reserved for couscous)
- 2 tablespoons whole almonds
- 1/2 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Kosher salt
- 1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 14 -ounce can peeled tomatoes, halved
- 2 small carrots, cut into chunks
- 1 zucchini and/or 1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped
- 1/3 cup raisins
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat couscous
Instructions
- Make the pesto:
- Combine the cilantro, parsley leaves, almonds and garlic in a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt; process until smooth.
- Prepare the vegetables for the couscous: Heat a wide heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until the butter begins to brown. Add the onion. Tie the reserved parsley stems and cinnamon stick together with twine; add to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 1 cup water, carrots, zucchini and/or Swiss chard, raisins, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the parsley and cinnamon.
- Meanwhile, cook the couscous as the label directs. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, season with salt and pepper and fluff with a fork. Top the couscous with the vegetables and pesto.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 525 |
| Total Fat | 29 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 9 grams |
| Cholesterol | 30 milligrams |
| Sodium | 1,364 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 60 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 11 grams |
| Protein | 11 grams |
Reviews
“Love this recipe! Have made it quite a few times now and everyone who has eaten it has loved it as well. I add rainbow swiss chard (including the green tops) and zucchini or whatever I have on hand, and I sub either wild rice or quinoa for the couscous. I also often make the pesto on its own to add to pasta or veggies. Easy and delicious. Look forward to making it again.
My husband and I love this recipe…instead of using zucchini, I used broccoli. Also, I used regular couscous!
I was excited about trying this recipe. My husband and I are trying to truly improve our diet and this was a “step in the right direction.” But we were both very disappointed in this highly rated recipe. Very little flavor. Lovely color, however. I’ve removed it from my recipe collection. Won’t be making it again.
I’m sure this would be excellent as a side dish, but my husband and I ate the entire recipe as our main dish last night and loved every bite. I made it exactly as written except that I put in the Swiss Chard (along with some spinach) about 3 minutes before the other vegetables finished cooking. Healthy, satisfying, and wonderful flavors. We’ll make this again and again.
This was AMAZING…I will make this again and again.
A few modifications – I had golden raisins on hand so I used those, and I only had regular couscous as opposed to whole wheat. Other than that, instead of using all the pesto I created, I added pesto both to taste and to get the right consistency. My boyfriend and I loved this dish and it was a great way to incorporate vegetables with a starch.
A few modifications – I had golden raisins on hand so I used those, and I only had regular couscous as opposed to whole wheat. Other than that, instead of using all the pesto I created, I added pesto both to taste and to get the right consistency. My boyfriend and I loved this dish and it was a great way to incorporate vegetables with a starch.
this couscous has so much going on, it is like a party in your mouth- morrocan style. i made it almost the same, just added more garlic and omitted the raisins. so delicious. i loved the zucchini in it, but think i may try spinach next time. i didn’t even share this with my boyfriend, i just ate it for a few days and did not tire of it. so delicious.
I added cubed chicken, and store bought pesto, and it was amazing, highly recommended.