Mediterranean Couscous

I would like to reintroduce you to Mediterranean Couscous! I first made this Mediterranean couscous several years ago and paired it with the Halibut with a caper butter sauce and Oven Roasted Asparagus. It can be served at room temperature and it is a great side dish for when the weather is warm and you want to eat lighter.

This couscous gets wonderful flavor from chicken broth, garlic, sweet and tangy sun-dried tomatoes, salty crumbles of feta cheese. There’s also a touch of heat from red pepper flakes. The perfect side dish to accompany any light meal or it can stand alone as a delicious vegetarian dish when made with vegetable broth.

Of course, here in Front Royal, Virginia, we wouldn’t know anything about warm weather. Yesterday David and I had our first snow day home in over two years. We were long overdue for one, but I was over the fact that we weren’t going to get a snow day again this year.

After a relatively above-average February, March has come in like a raging beast! We got about 6-inches of snow on the first full day of spring! Today is the second full day of spring and I am really trying to think spring. I want spring! I’m ready to sit out on our new porch and deck!

Don’t worry, you don’t have to wait until the weather is warm outside to make this dish.

Let me show you how!

What is Couscous?

Couscous is not pasta. It is actually crushed durum wheat semolina formed into small granules or spheres, not the ground type used for pasta.

Ingredients Needed To Make Mediterranean Couscous

• Oil: Extra-virgin olive oil is used to grease the skillet. Use whatever oil you like.
• Minced Garlic: Use more if you like.
• Red Pepper Flakes: provides a nice warmth without being overly spicy.
• Sun-dried Tomatoes:  Use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, but drain them first. Dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes can be used instead.
• Chicken Broth: to flavor the couscous. Use vegetable broth to make this recipe vegetarian-friendly.
• Uncooked Couscous: I use regular couscous, but you can use Israeli which is larger and has a pearl-like shape.
• Feta Cheese: I prefer the regular chunk of Greek-style feta cheese made of sheep’s milk. I find that it is a lot creamier when you crumble it yourself.

How To Make Mediterranean Couscous

Make this side dish is 4 easy steps:

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat. Add in garlic and red pepper flakes, sauté until fragrant (do not brown), about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Add in sun-dried tomatoes; sauté an additional minute. Then add the chicken broth to the pan with the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and chili flakes. Bring to a boil.
3. When the broth mixture comes to a boil, add the uncooked couscous to the broth. Remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes.
4. After 5 minutes remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Toss the couscous mixture with the feta cheese, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

How To Serve Mediterranean Couscous

Serve this Mediterranean couscous with just about anything, at any time, or all by itself! Also, feel free to add other ingredients and adjust this dish to your taste. 

If it is cold where you are too, then imagine serving this Mediterranean couscous to accompany grilled fish or chicken on a warm spring afternoon. 

Within 10-minutes you have a healthy, simple side dish to go with just about any meal. Keep this recipe in your arsenal for days when you don’t have much time to cook!