Moroccan Spiced Couscous Stuffed Peppers

About This Recipe

This dish borrows Morocco's signature pairing of warm spices and dried fruit — cinnamon, cumin, and sweet apricots — and packs it into a couscous filling for baked bell peppers. It's not a traditional Moroccan dish itself, but the flavor profile is drawn directly from Moroccan tagines and rice pilafs, where dried fruit and warm spices are cooked together with grains as a matter of course.\n\nThe technique that matters most is pre-cooking the couscous filling fully on the stovetop before it goes into the peppers, since couscous doesn't need the long oven time that raw rice would — packing already-fluffy, well-seasoned couscous into the peppers and baking just long enough to soften the peppers themselves keeps the grain from drying out or turning mushy.\n\nServe warm with a dollop of yogurt on top — the cool creaminess plays well against the warm spices and sweet dried apricots inside.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 largebell peppers(tops sliced off, seeded)
• 1 cupcouscous
• 1.25 cupshot vegetable stock
• 3 tbspolive oil(divided)
• 1onion(finely diced)
• 1 can (15oz)chickpeas(drained)
• 0.5 cupdried apricots(chopped)
• 1 tspground cumin
• 0.5 tspground cinnamon
• 0.25 cuptoasted almonds(chopped)
• 0.25 cupfresh cilantro(chopped)
• 0.5 cupGreek yogurt(for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Pre-soften the peppers

   Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place pepper halves cut-side up in a baking dish and roast 10 minutes to soften.

2. 2

   Steep the couscous

   Place couscous in a bowl, pour hot stock over it, cover, and let sit 5-7 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

3. 3

   Build the filling

   Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes until soft, then stir in cumin and cinnamon and cook 30 seconds.

4. 4

   Combine the filling

   Add chickpeas and dried apricots and cook 3-4 minutes to warm through. Off heat, fold in the fluffed couscous and half the almonds and cilantro.

   Taste and adjust the seasoning of the filling before stuffing the peppers — it's much easier to fix here than after baking.

5. 5

   Stuff and bake

   Fill the roasted pepper halves generously with the couscous mixture, drizzle with remaining olive oil, and bake 20 minutes until the peppers are tender.

6. 6

   Serve

   Top with remaining almonds and cilantro, and serve warm with a dollop of yogurt.

Variations

• •

  Add shredded roasted chicken to the filling for a heartier, protein-rich version.

• •

  Swap dried apricots for raisins or chopped dates for a different sweet note.

• •

  Top with crumbled feta instead of yogurt for a saltier, tangier finish.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a 350°F (175°C) oven or in the microwave until warmed through.

Frequently Asked Questions