Easy Vegan Mediterranean Couscous Recipe with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

A flavorsome, healthful, vegan dish, this easy couscous recipe with sun-dry tomatoes is an amazing combination of flavors and textures, and absolutely my favorite among couscous recipes: a vegan Mediterranean couscous salad that doubles as a side dish, and even a light main dish.

By Clara Gonzalez - Last revised Sep 30, 2025. Original Jan 2, 2017.

Why I ❤️ it Recipe Ingredients Preparation

Vegan couscous.

Why I ❤️ it

If you have never tried couscous, well, do I have the perfect introduction for you! If you have tried couscous before, you're about to add a new one to your favorite couscous recipe list.

With ingredients from all over the Mediterranean, from Morocco to Italy, this is a marvelously-wholesome meatless dish that vegans will love, and meat-eaters will crave too.

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Utensils and tools

• Large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid
• Tools

Ingredients

• 3⅓ cups of boiling-hot water, divided
• ¼ cup of olive oil
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 10 ounces of sun-dried tomato, [285 grams], chopped
• 3 cups quick-cook couscous
• 2 teaspoon of salt
• ¼ teaspoon of freshly-cracked pepper
• ¼ cup of minced parsley

Preparation

Before starting, please make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready.

Step 1: Boiling water

Keep the water simmering on the stove to use throughout the preparation.

Step 2: Cook

Heat the olive oil in the saucepan over very low heat. Add the onion and dry tomatoes. Stir and cover with the lid.

Simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. As the onion releases liquid it will help rehydrated the tomatoes, but add boiling-hot water by the tablespoon every time you stir if it looks like it might burn.

Step 3: Mix

After the 15 minutes, add the couscous, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add 2 cups of boiling-hot water. Stir to mix well. Cover with the lid.

Remove from the heat and let it rest covered for 20 minutes.

Step 4: Serving

Uncover the pan, fluff the couscous with a fork and mix in the parsley.

This dish is best served at room temperature or slightly warm.

What's couscous?

Couscous is grain-like pasta that is a traditional Northern African food, a staple food in  Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya, very popular in France, and occasionally served in some Middle Eastern countries.

Like rice or pasta, couscous is a vehicle, with little flavor in itself. It is served with rich sauces and other foods that lend it flavors.

Top tips

I went the lazy woman's way and bought pre-cooked or quick-cook couscous (though it still needs cooking). This has the advantage of allowing you to have it on the table in less than 30 minutes.

Serving suggestions

You can serve this as a salad, a side dish, or even a main dish (though in that case it would be 4 instead of 6 portions). Serve with your preferred meatless main dish.

Nutritional information

Couscous is a poor source of protein, providing 6 gram per serving (rice provides about 7 grams per serving), but a rich source of  of carbohydrates (36 grams compared to 80 grams in rice), and well, little else. So if you are looking for alternatives to lower your carbs consumption, consider trying couscous.

Recipe nutrition

Calories: 179kcal - Carbohydrates: 30g - Protein: 6g - Fat: 5g - Saturated Fat: 1g - Sodium: 655mg - Potassium: 1029mg - Fiber: 5g - Sugar: 11g - Vitamin A: 250IU - Vitamin C: 12.5mg - Calcium: 40mg - Iron: 2.8mg

FAQs

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