Quick and Healthy Snacks: Instant Couscous

Quick and Healthy Snacks and Desserts

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Couscous is a popular staple in North African and Middle Eastern cuisine. While it looks like a grain, couscous is actually a pasta made from semolina (a flour derived from durum wheat). Healthy and delicious, couscous is a versatile ingredient that can be used in salads, soups and stews. Most of the couscous available in Australia is a Moroccan style couscous which has a very fine grain and cooks so quickly we call it ‘instant’ couscous. In fact, to prepare it, all you need to do is add an equal volume of boiling water to the couscous and stir until the water is absorbed.

Instant couscous can be prepared so quickly that it is perfect for a quick snack at home or at work (or between Zoom meetings if you WFH). For a snack that’s even quicker than the recipes below, you can prepare the couscous and top it with a small can of tuna in any flavour, flavoured shredded chicken, baked beans, or Snack Time beans or chickpeas.

If you happen to have some pearl couscous on hand, you can find ways to use it in the entry 6 Ways with Pearl Couscous.

 

Recipes:

Couscous Salad

Couscous with Spinach

Spicy Veg Couscous

Mediterranean Couscous

Tomato and Couscous Soup-in-a-Mug

Sweet Couscous

 

Couscous Salad

  • ¼ cup instant couscous
  • ½ Lebanese cucumber (or ¼ Granny Smith apple)
  • 3–4 cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • ½ cup mushrooms, red capsicum (or red onion) and/or carrot, chopped
  • 2 tsp. basil pesto
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil.

 

  1. In a 1 litre bowl pour ¼ cup boiling water onto couscous, let stand until water is absorbed and allow to cool
  2. Peel (optional) and chop cucumber or apple
  3. Place vegetables on couscous
  4. Stir pesto into olive oil
  5. Drizzle over salad and stir in thoroughly

Variation: substitute sliced celery for some of the cucumber, apple. carrot or capsicum

 

Couscous with Spinach

  • 1/3 cup instant couscous
  • 1–2 portions frozen spinach
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • ½ tsp. chicken stock powder
  • Dried onion, garlic granules and pepper
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

 

  1. Place frozen spinach in a 1 litre bowl with lemon juice, stock powder and spices
  2. Microwave on high for 60–90 seconds to thaw spinach
  3. Stir in 1/3 cup boiling water
  4. Stir in couscous and let stand until the water is absorbed
  5. Stir in a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese (optional)

Variation: substitute ½ cup chopped spinach leaves for frozen spinach and microwave for 30 seconds at Step 2

 

Spicy Veg Couscous

  • ¼ cup instant couscous
  • ½ cup frozen mixed vegetables
  • ½ tsp. chicken stock powder
  • Dried onion, garlic granules and mild curry powder

 

  1. Place frozen mixed vegetables in a 1 litre bowl with 1/3 cup water, stock powder and spices
  2. Microwave on high for 3 minutes
  3. Stir in couscous and let stand until the water is absorbed

 

Mediterranean Couscous

  • ¼ cup instant couscous
  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • ½ tsp. chicken stock powder
  • Paprika (or chilli), basil, dried onion and garlic granules
  • 1/3 cup frozen peas (or 125gm can chickpeas, drained)

 

  1. Place diced tomatoes in a 1 litre bowl with stock powder and spices
  2. Stir and microwave on high for 60 seconds
  3. Stir in peas (or chickpeas)
  4. Microwave on high for 3 minutes
  5. Stir in couscous and let stand until liquid is absorbed

 

Tomato and Couscous Soup-in-a-Mug

  • ¾ cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • 3 tsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1 portion frozen spinach
  • 1 tbsp. instant couscous
  • Mild curry powder, garlic granules, ginger and coriander

 

  1. Place frozen spinach in a mug and microwave on high for 30 seconds
  2. Stir in stock with tomato paste, lemon juice and spices
  3. Cover with a sauce and microwave on high for 2 minutes
  4. Stir in couscous
  5. Top up with boiling water (optional) and let stand for 3 minutes

 

Sweet Couscous

  • ¼ cup instant couscous
  • 1 tbsp. sultanas (or similar)
  • 2 tsp. almond meal
  • ½ tsp. honey or sugar
  • 1 tsp. butter or margarine
  • Desiccated coconut (optional)
  • Natural yoghurt (optional)

 

  1. Place sultanas in a small bowl, cover with boiling water, microwave on high for 60 seconds and drain
  2. Add couscous, almond meal, honey and butter
  3. Stir in ¼ cup boiling water and let stand until water is absorbed
  4. Stir in a sprinkle of coconut (optional)
  5. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt (optional)

Variation: substitute ¼ cup frozen berries for the sultanas. At Step 1 place berries in a small bowl and microwave on high for 60 seconds.

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