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Easy Vegan Mediterranean Couscous Recipe with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

  • Español
Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 179kcal

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.

Why I ❤️ it • Recipe • Video • Ingredients • Preparation

Vegan Mediterranean couscous salad

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.

Vegan Mediterranean couscous recipe

This recipe contains affiliate links.

Couscous and Sun-Dried Tomatoes Tabbouleh: A flavorsome, exotic, vegan dish.

Course: Dinner, Lunch
Inspiration: Mediterranean, Middle-Eastern
Category: couscous recipes, mediterranean couscous, mediterranean couscous side dish, mediterranean couscous warm
Author: Clara González

Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Total Time40 mins

Utensils and tools

  • Large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid
  • Tools
Mediterranean couscous salad
Mediterranean couscous salad

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

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

Step 2

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

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

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
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.

Mediterranean couscous salad
Mediterranean couscous salad

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

Is couscous gluten free?

Couscous is made from semolina, a wheat product, hence not gluten-free.

Is couscous pasta?

Though couscous is served in the same manner as grains like rice, it is actually a pasta-like product, also made from semolina.

Print card

This is just a printer-friendly summary, some useful details are found in the recipe above.

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Couscous and Sun-Dried Tomatoes Tabbouleh

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

Instructions

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

Notes

Using quick-cook couscous shortens the preparation time, and it's what I have used in this recipe.

Originally published on Jan 2, 2017

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. [email protected]

    April 23, 2013 at 11:11 am

    Looks gorgeous. I love couscous too. My favorite way to prepare it is with dates, toasted almonds, cilantro and lemon. But, coucous and sun-dried tomatoes is a killer combination, so I'll have to try this.

    Reply
    • Tia Clara

      September 08, 2013 at 7:03 pm

      Yours sounds scrumptious too!

      Reply
  2. Louise

    April 22, 2013 at 1:06 pm

    5 stars
    Clara, your photos are simply amazing - I especially love the one with the parsley bunch!

    Reply
  3. Nami | Just One Cookbook

    April 16, 2013 at 12:31 am

    Such a gorgeous photography!!! I love couscous, but wish that my young kids would enjoy as much as we do. I love your antique backboard. 🙂

    Reply
    • Tia Clara

      April 18, 2013 at 3:05 pm

      Thanks! My daughter is not a fan of couscous, but I am not very flexible, we eat what we are served.

      Reply
  4. Suzanne Perazzini

    April 11, 2013 at 8:45 pm

    Couscous is my husband's favourite grain and I always buy the pre-cooked. Same with polenta. Who wants to stand over a hot stove for hours, stirring.

    Reply
    • Tia Clara

      April 16, 2013 at 11:28 pm

      I can do polenta from scratch, but I haven't mastered couscous from scratch. Like you said, who wants to slave over a stove for hours?

      Reply

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