This couscous recipe comes out fluffy and perfectly seasoned in minutes! Here are the tricks for cooking couscous.

If there is a food that personifies an easy garnish, it is this: couscous. This little pasta is fluffy, tasty and takes only 10 minutes to prepare without cooking. That’s right: all you have to do is boil water! This traditional Berber food has swept the whole world: its ease of preparation and delicious light texture make it perfect to serve with almost anything. Do it Moroccan style or season simply with lemon as a quick accompaniment to chicken, fish or vegetarian main dishes. Here is our favorite couscous recipe and some background on its origin.

What is couscous?

Couscous is a North African paste with small grains made from semolina flour. Its texture looks like grains of rice or quinoa, but it’s actually a pasta! It originated with the Berbers of Algeria and Morocco, sometime between the 11th century and the 13th century. Today it is a staple of pantry worldwide due to its versatility and fast cooking time. It is a cultural dish of Maghrebi cuisine in the countries of Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, Morocco and Libya.

Is couscous gluten-free

? Nope. Couscous is a paste made with wheat, so it contains gluten. People on gluten-free diets should avoid it or look for special gluten-free couscous.

Types of couscous There are three main types of food called

couscous

: Moroccan, Israeli or pearly couscous, and Lebanese. However, the second two types are not technically considered couscous. Here’s an overview:

• Moroccan couscous has very small, irregular grains and a quick cooking time. It is the standard variety and is labeled as “couscous” in the supermarket (it usually will not include the Moroccan word).

Israeli couscous

• (also known as pearl couscous) is larger and shaped like balls. Technically it is considered a paste and not couscous, since the grains are large and have the same shape. It has always been machine-made, while couscous is made by hand. Food was invented in Israel in the 1950s when the government needed to feed masses of immigrants.
• Lebanese couscous has grains that are even larger and a longer cooking time. It’s harder to find in major U.S. grocery stores, but it can be available at international grocery stores.

The following recipe features Moroccan couscous: so avoid the Israeli or pearl variety here! It’s a completely different product with a different cooking time. I understand? Okay, let’s cook this beautiful little pasta.

How to cook couscous There are several methods for

cooking couscous

. It is difficult to get perfectly fluffy because it can become lumpy when boiled in a small pot. Here’s an alternative method that results in beautifully fluffy pimples every time (or skip to the recipe below):

• Use a ratio of 1 cup of couscous to 1.5 cups of liquid. Use water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth; The broth provides extra tasty flavor notes.
• Boil the liquid. Boil it in a kettle or a small pot on the stove. Boil the water separately helps to avoid lumps.
• Place the dried grains in a pan with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. The use of a pan creates more surface area and less chance of clumping.
• Pour over the liquid and wait 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork. That’s it! You’ll find it’s perfectly fluffy with separate grains – no lumps!

Ways to serve it

Now for the fun part: how to serve couscous! This couscous recipe is for a basic dish, flavored with lemon and parsley. It goes with just about anything: Because it takes only 10 minutes, we find ourselves doing it often. Here are some ways to flavor and serve it:

• Add lemon, parsley and olive oil for a quick and easy side

Make a traditional Moroccan seven-vegetable couscous by this Moroccan recipe developer Serve with a

• stew like Moroccan

chickpea stew

• Make a bowl meal with this easy pan dinner or bowls of Mediterranean
• couscous Serve under seafood such as shrimp, salmon, salmon cakes or scallopsHow

do you plan to serve this 10-minute accompaniment? Let us know in the comments below.

Easier

side dishes

recipes Want faster and easier side dishes? Here are some basics you’ll find yourself doing repeatedly:

Go basic with How to cook rice, How to cook quinoa, How to cook

• bulgur or How to cook Farro
• Opt for Orzo de limón
• fácil Try spinach rice with feta cheese or rice with lime and cilantro
• Go for perfectly seasoned Quinoa
• Grab easy canned chickpeas, Easy white beans or easy cannellini beans

This couscous recipe is…

Vegetarian, Vegan, plant-based and dairy-free.

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