Tunisian Herbed Yogurt Couscous Bowl

About This Recipe

Couscous is the true staple of Tunisian cooking, traditionally steamed multiple times over a simmering stew rather than just rehydrated with boiling water, which is what gives properly made Tunisian couscous its distinctive light, fluffy texture. This bowl takes a shortcut version suited to a weeknight kitchen, steaming the couscous once with warm spices, and pairs it with roasted vegetables seasoned in the same warming spice blend common across Tunisian tagines and stews, finished with a cooling herbed yogurt rather than the traditional harissa-spiked broth. Toasting the dry couscous briefly in olive oil before adding hot liquid helps the grains stay separate rather than clumping, and letting it steam covered off the heat for a full 10 minutes before fluffing is what gives it a light, fluffy texture rather than a gluey one. Vegetables like carrot, zucchini and chickpeas are roasted with cumin, coriander and a little cinnamon, the warm spice combination found throughout Tunisian cooking, then piled over the couscous. A yogurt sauce brightened with fresh mint and parsley cools the whole bowl down, a modern addition to a traditionally more broth-forward dish.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1.5 cupscouscous
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1.75 cupsvegetable stock(hot)
• 3carrots(cut into batons)
• 1zucchini(cut into half-moons)
• 1.5 cupscooked chickpeas
• 1.5 tspground cumin
• 1 tspground coriander
• 0.25 tspground cinnamon
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 1 cupplain yogurt
• 3 tbspfresh mint(chopped)
• 3 tbspfresh parsley(chopped)
• 1 clovegarlic(minced, for the yogurt)

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the couscous

   Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pot over medium heat and toast the dry couscous 1-2 minutes, stirring, until lightly golden and fragrant.

2. 2

   Steam the couscous

   Pour in the hot stock, cover, and remove from heat. Let steam undisturbed 10 minutes, then fluff thoroughly with a fork.

3. 3

   Roast the vegetables

   Toss carrots, zucchini and chickpeas with remaining olive oil, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and salt. Roast at 220C (425F) for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway, until caramelized.

4. 4

   Make the herbed yogurt

   Stir mint, parsley and garlic into the yogurt with a pinch of salt.

5. 5

   Assemble the bowls

   Divide the fluffed couscous among bowls, top with the roasted vegetables, and finish with a generous dollop of herbed yogurt.

Variations

• •

  Traditional broth-based version: skip the yogurt and serve the couscous with a warm, harissa-spiced vegetable broth ladled over the top instead.

• •

  Protein-added: top with grilled merguez sausage or roasted chicken for a heartier meal.

• •

  Extra heat: stir a spoonful of harissa into the yogurt for a spicy-cooling contrast.

Storage

Refrigerate couscous and roasted vegetables separately in airtight containers up to 4 days. Store the herbed yogurt separately and add fresh before serving; it doesn't keep its texture well once mixed into the couscous.

Frequently Asked Questions