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Couscous with Spiced Zucchini

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Cook up this healthy and filling, vegan Couscous with Spiced Zucchini for your meal this week. One of the best ways to use your summer zucchini along with a few other veggies. It can be served as a meal on its own, or as a side to your barbeques or parties. 

Couscous with Spiced Zucchini served in a wide blue bowl

A quick and easy meal that comes along in just 10-15 minutes. Spiced with some Hungarian wax peppers, capsicum, spices, and fresh summer tomatoes. Add some protein to this dish like meat or paneer or soya or make it as a healthy grain bowl.  

What is Couscous?

Couscous was a new grain to me when I came to Ireland. Yes, I never had back this back in India. I used to enjoy different salads with couscous or a simple couscous along with sauteed veggies. Love those round small, shiny couscous grains. 

Couscous is small steamed granules of rolled semolina. Generally served with some stew on top of it or along with some veggies to make it like salad. One of the staple foods of North Africa.

How is Couscous cooked?

Couscous available in shops is rather an Instant version. So technically we are not cooking couscous but rehydrating it. So depending on the variety of couscous one uses, you hydrate it with boiling water for 5-15 mins and you are done. Now there are different sizes. If you are using giant couscous it needs to be cooked similar to pasta. 

Cooked Couscous
Cooked Couscous

Adding flavors to couscous 

The basic couscous is hydrated with salt, water, and oil. Oil helps in separating the grains and salt adds to the taste. While hydrating, one can add different herbs to flavor or some lemon to give it a zing. The possibilities are endless and one can experiment.  

So here I am again with a recipe for Zucchini! And why not? It’s summer and I am having a good harvest. I love when I harvest a veggie and use it immediately or at least in 1-2 days. No miles traveled and garden to table in less than an hour.

Couscous with Spiced Zucchini served in a wide blue bowl. Seen along is a blue napkin

Nowadays I am using all fresh from my garden. For the last month, I have not bought any veggies except for onion, garlic, and potatoes. I am loving it. Love gardening and love to grow my own veggies. I grow all of them from seeds. Yes, I lose a lot of them to slugs or my experiments. I am slowly learning. It’s a lot of hard work, but I love every bit of it. 

Recipe process of Couscous with Spiced Zucchini

Today in this spiced zucchini along with couscous I am using the basic couscous recipe. That is I simply hydrated it with salt, oil, and water. I Sauteed the veggies separately and then mixed them with couscous. 

In today’s recipe, I am using my fresh garden’s Hungarian Wax pepper, tomatoes, and green peppers. First, the onion, garlic, ginger, and pepper are sauteed. Then zucchini, tomatoes, and green pepper are added along with some zaatar and paprika powder. They are cooked until they are slightly soft but still have a crunch. Once done the hydrated couscous is mixed along with some parsley, coriander, and lemon to finish off. That’s it. This Couscous with Spiced Zucchini can be served warm or cold.

Few more Zucchini recipes

Zucchini Coconut Lemon Muffins
Zucchini Coconut Lemon Muffins are fresh and moist muffins bursting with lemon and coconut flavor and a perfect way to use the fresh garden zucchini.
Check out this recipe
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Lemon Ginger Zucchini Marmalade
Lemon Ginger Zucchini Marmalade is an easy one-pot marmalade made using fresh garden Zucchini, ginger, and lemon.
Check out this recipe
Lemon Ginger Zucchini Marmalade presented in a glass jar, with a close up look of jelly in a spoon
Zucchini Tomato Dal (Instant Pot & Pressure Cooker)
Zucchini Tomato Dal is a one-pot protein-rich lentil curry or dal made using Zucchini or Courgette and Split Pigeon Pea.
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Zucchini Tomato Dal Served in a white bowl. Seen along side are some fresh zucchini.
Zucchini and carrot vegetable sandwich
Zucchini and carrot vegetable sandwich is a simple and healthy sandwich made with summer-friendly vegetables best for breakfast, quick lunch or dinner.
Check out this recipe
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Zucchini chocolate Whole Wheat Bread
Zucchini chocolate Whole Wheat Bread which is quick to make and is moist, light and a perfect chocolaty treat for all age groups.
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Zucchini / Courgette Fritters (Mini Pan Cakes – Vegan & Gluten-Free)
Zucchini/Courgette Fritters are healthy, gluten-free and Vegan starter or a side that can be made in as quickly as 10 minutes.
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Zucchini / Courgette Fritters (Mini Pan Cakes) are healthy, low carb, gluten free and Vegan starter or a side which can be made in as quickly as 10 minutes.

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Couscous with Spiced Zucchini served in a wide blue bowl. Seen along is a blue napkin
Couscous with Spiced Zucchini served in a wide blue bowl

Couscous with Spiced Zucchini

Cook up this healthy and filling, vegan Couscous with Spiced Zucchini for your meal this week. One of the best ways to use your summer zucchini along with a few other veggies. It can be served as a meal on its own, or as a side to your barbeques or parties.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate Save
Course: Main Course, Sides
Keyword: Garden Harvest Recipes, Grains, Vegetables
Author: Renu Agrawal-Dongre

Ingredients

Couscous prepartion

  • ½ Cup – 95 grams Couscous
  • ½ Cup + 2 tablespoon Boiling Water
  • ½ tablespoon Olive oil Or any vegetable oil
  • Salt to taste

Veggies and Spices

  • 1 small onion cut lengthwise
  • 1 Hungarian wax pepper or any spicy pepper or chili cut lenghtwise Optional, if you do not like it spicy
  • 2-3 small size garlic cloves minced or grated
  • ½ tablespoon of ginger minced or grated
  • 2 tablespoon Olive oil Or any vegetable oil
  • 3 Cups – 420 grams – Zucchini cut into cubes
  • ¼ Cup – 64 grams – Bell Pepper – capsciusm cut into cubes
  • 2-3 – 1 cup – 200 grams – chopped Tomatoes
  • Salt to taste Go easy on the salt, as couscous will have salt in it
  • 1 teaspoon Zaatar spice Optional
  • 1 teaspoon Paprika or Red chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon/Lime Juice
  • 2-3 tablespoon of chopped parsley
  • 1-2 tablespoon of chopped coriander Optional

Instructions

Preparing the Couscous

  • Prepare the couscous as per your instructions on your packet or follow the steps below.
    ½ Cup – 95 grams Couscous
  • In a large bowl add in the couscous.
  • Add oil and salt.
    ½ Cup + 2 tablespoon Boiling Water, ½ tablespoon Olive oil, Salt to taste
    Salt, Oil added to Couscous
  • Add boiling water.
    Adding of hot water to Couscous
  • Give it a mix.
  • Cover and let it sit for 10-15 mins.
    Cooked Couscous
  • Once done, gently fluff it up with a fork.

Preparing Couscous with Spiced Zucchini

  • In a heavy bottom pot add Olive oil.
    2 tablespoon Olive oil
  • Once hot add the onion, garlic, ginger and Hungarian wax pepper or any spicy pepper or chili.
    1 small onion cut lengthwise, 2-3 small size garlic cloves minced or grated, ½ tablespoon of ginger minced or grated, 1 Hungarian wax pepper or any spicy pepper or chili cut lenghtwise
    Onion, garlic, pepper added to oil
  • Let this cook on medium until the onions are translucent.
    Onion, chilies, garlic and ginger getting sautéed
  • Now add the Bell peppers.
    ¼ Cup – 64 grams – Bell Pepper – capsciusm cut into cubes
    Adding of pepper
  • Let them cook for 2-3 minutes.
    Veggies getting cooked
  • Add the zucchini and tomatoes and mix.
    3 Cups – 420 grams – Zucchini cut into cubes, 2-3 – 1 cup – 200 grams – chopped Tomatoes
    Adding Tomatoes and mixing with veggies
  • Add the zaatar spice, paprika powder and salt.
    1 teaspoon Zaatar spice, 1 teaspoon Paprika or Red chili powder, Salt to taste
    Adding of Zaatar Spice
  • Adding of Paprika to veggies
  • Let this cook for a further 4-5 minutes.
  • Now add the chopped parsley and coriander and mix.
    2-3 tablespoon of chopped parsley, 1-2 tablespoon of chopped coriander
    Adding Parsley and Coriander to the veggies
  • Cook this until the veggies are slightly soft but not mushy. They should have a bite.
    Cooked Veggies
  • Now add the cooked couscous and lemon juice.
    1 tablespoon Lemon/Lime Juice
    Adding Couscous to the veggies
  • Mix it to coat the couscous with all the spices and veggies.
    Mixed Veggies with Couscous
  • Switch off and serve warm or cold.

Notes

  • Standard US Size cups and spoons are used.
  • Any combination of veggies can be used.
  • One can use corn, peas, aubergine, etc.
Tried this recipe?Share your feedback @cookwithrenu_ad or tag #cookwithrenu_ad
Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

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    Recipe Rating




    Azlin Bloor

    Friday 19th of August 2022

    This is such a spectacular dish, Renu! As a couscous lover, I would eat this everyday. Those spiced vegetables look perfect!

    Mayuri Patel

    Tuesday 16th of August 2022

    Such a lovely way to use zucchini and other veggies for a healthy and filling meal. I too love couscous. One more recipe added to my list.

    Wendy Klik

    Monday 15th of August 2022

    Quick, easy and beautiful!!!