Fast and Easy herb Couscous- This middle eastern side dish really breaks up the side dish monotony that easily occurs at home, (rice, pasta, potatoes, repeat... ), and does so in a super quick and easy way also! It almost seems like cheating as a chef when I've made this. There are just a couple of useful tips and tricks to it coming out well that we will share with you here.
There seems to be a lot of confusion as to what couscous actually is. Although it definitely appears as such, it is not a grain. It essentially is pasta, created in very much the same way, but in much smaller bits than you would really ever see in Italian cuisine. There are two types that you can find in stores, Moroccan, which is what we are preparing here, (sometimes just labelled as couscous, or as North African), or Israeli, which is small, uniform spheres, (sometimes labelled as Middle Eastern).
In Morocco, this evolved as an entire meal prepared in a special piece of equipment, called a couscousiere, go figure! It resembles a double boiler, with a steamer basket for the top chamber. The couscous is placed in the top part, while the meat and/or vegetables would be simmered below, creating flavorful steam that rises and cooks the starch side above. With some skill and practice, one can make an entire meal this way. Don't worry, this version does not require specialized cookware, or anywhere near the level of expertise it takes to do that!
Almost all couscous purchased off the shelves will have suggested cooking instructions printed on the container, and unfortunately, most of those are somewhat flawed in a few ways. Follow our recipe, and your finished side dish will be fluffier, lighter in texture, and more flavorful in general.
This recipe is dairy free, and can easily be prepared vegan by using vegetable stock or salted water in place of the chicken broth.
Equipment
- chef knife
- cutting board
- mixing bowl
- small saucepan
- fork
Ingredients
- fresh rosemary, picked and minced
- fresh oregano, picked and minced
- chicken bouillon base, (can use chicken stock, replacing the water)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- black pepper, freshly ground
- couscous
Instructions For Herb Couscous
Pick and chop your oregano...
And Rosemary. Mix these with the raw couscous. The box recipes will call for olive oil and/or butter to be added to the broth before boiling on the stove, whereas we suggest that you mix the oil directly into the raw product, allowing it to evenly coat better, and therefore, keep the couscous from lumping together.
This is an illustration of another way that our recipe differs from the cooking instructions found on the box. They will tell you to bring the liquid to a boil, and add the couscous directly to it. We've found that instead it makes it less prone to over cooking if you add the boiling liquid to the raw product in a bowl, cover tightly with film, and allow it to steam.
After allowing it to steam together under the plastic wrap, it's important to "fluff' it with a fork as shown, to work out any lumps that may have formed. Add the salt and pepper at this point, and you're good to go!
Variations On herb Couscous
This side dish is a blank slate, let your imagination guide you, or try:
- any herbs can be substituted
- butter can add lovely richness
- garlic or onion powder adds a pungent taste, just go lightly, as they can become too powerful easily
- add a little chopped olives
- Moroccans quite often add bits of dried fruit, as well as spices such as coriander or cardamom
Fast and Easy Herb Couscous
Equipment
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Chef Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 fork
- 1 Measuring cup set
- 1 Measuring Spoon Set
- 1 Plastic wrap
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cup water
- 1 cup dry Moroccan couscous
- 1 tbsp. chicken bouillon paste
- 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary stemmed and minced
- 2 tsp. fresh oregano stemmed and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. olive oil extra virgin
- 1½ tsp. salt
- ¾ tsp. black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- place couscous and herbs in mixing bowl
- add olive oil to mixing bowl, mixing together well to coat
- in saucepan, combine chicken bouillon with water
- bring saucepan contents to a full boil over high heat
- carefully pour stock over couscous
- stir through and cover tightly with plastic wrap quickly
- allow to steam covered for 15 minutes
- remove plastic, check for doneness. most often, it will be tender at this time, but due to desiccation on the shelf, it may require covering back and allowing for a few more minutes
- fluff with a fork to break up any clumps
- serve immediately
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