Pronounced “koos-koos,” couscous makes a great side dish or addition to a salad, similar to quinoa or rice.
A staple of North Africa, couscous can often be found in dishes such as a stew with seasonal vegetables and legumes (usually chickpeas), fish or meat (chicken, lamb, beef, rabbit, hare, and even camel), and spices.
Traditionally, making couscous can be a lot of work. Freshly ground hard wheat (usually semolina) is sprinkled with salt water and flour, then it is rolled in the person’s hands until granules appear. It is sifted to obtain granules of similar size, then dried in the sun (learn more).
It takes very little time to cook. With a ratio of 1.5 cups of water to 1 cup couscous, add water to a pot and bring to a boil, stir in couscous, cover, remove from heat, let it sit for at least 5 minutes, then fluff it with a fork.
Couscous has fewer calories and carbohydrates and more protein than both brown and white rice. There is more fiber in it than there is in white rice, which can helps boost digestive health and make you feel full longer (learn more)
We have regular couscous at Core Goods, but there is also an “Israeli couscous,” which is made up of granules that are much larger, like the size of small pearls.
COUSCOUS RECIPES:
Greek Couscous Salad
Moroccan Spiced Vegetable Couscous
Curried Couscous with Broccoli & Feta
Spring Couscous Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
Spicy Couscous with Shrimp & Chorizo
Cheesy Mexican Couscous Casserole
Leek & Mushroom Couscous Stuffed Squash
Mediterranean Couscous Cakes
Breakfast Couscous
These are just some recipe suggestions. There are thousands of recipes on the internet–just search “couscous recipes” on Pinterest or Google.