Moroccan Fruity Couscous
This gently spiced, fruity couscous makes a lovely summer weekend lunch or speedy weeknight supper. As a main meal, we like to serve it with strips of warm pitted bread or garlic bread, baby salad leaves and a large dollop of hummus. I've kept it mild enough for children, but feel free to spice it up with some chilli.
Ingredients
- 245 g / 1⅓ cups couscous, preferably whole wheat
- 8 sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil drained and sliced
- 8 dried apricots chopped
- 30 g / 3 TBSP dried cranberries or sultanas
- 480 ml / 2 cups boiling hot vegetable stock (broth)
- 1 TBSP olive oil divided
- 1 medium onion (140g) finely chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 bell pepper (190g) deseeded and diced (or use a mix of different coloured pepper pieces to make it extra vibrant!)
- 1 medium courgette (zucchini) (240g) quartered lengthwise and sliced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ - 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- small handful of fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)or parsley roughly chopped
- salt to taste
Garnish
- 4 TBSP toasted flaked almonds
- 2 TBSP toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Place the couscous, sun-dried tomatoes, dried apricots and cranberries/sultanas in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the boiling hot stock on top, cover with a plate and leave for 7 minutes. Drizzle on ½ TBSP olive oil (or oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes) and fluff up with a fork.
- Meanwhile, heat ½ TBSP oil in a large frying pan (skillet) on medium heat and cook the onion, garlic, bell pepper and courgette for a couple of minutes. Stir in the dried spices, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking for 5 minutes. If the vegetables start to stick, add a splash of water to the pan.
- Once ready, tip the couscous into the pan along with the fresh herbs. Gently stir through to combine. Season with salt, to taste.
- Divide between four bowls. Sprinkles on the nuts and seeds and serve.
- Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for three days. They're great for packing into lunchboxes as an alternative to sandwiches. Be sure to add a dollop of hummus to the bowl. It helps the couscous stick together!
Notes
Super Speedy Version
To save on chopping time, substitute the fresh vegetables with a bag of frozen grilled Mediterranean vegetables.