Couscous is an amazing ingredient to serve alongside stews and sauces, acting as the perfect sponge for flavour. But even better, couscous makes for many interesting and delicious dishes in their own right, like this wonderful roasted Moroccan-inspired cauliflower & garlic couscous – a tasty combination of flavour and texture. Learn how to make it…
This Moroccan Couscous With Roasted Cauliflower & Garlic is one of the tastiest side-dishes ever. I say side-dish, it could easily have been a meal in its own right. But, I can't say no to pairing couscous with a sauce, so I usually accompany mine with something like a super-simple-super-delicious Moroccan Kefta Tagine. But even when I don't, this salad is a winner every time!
What is couscous?
Well, in actual fact, couscous is a type of pasta. Durum wheat semolina flour is combined with water and in-turn creates tiny grain sized balls. They look a little like bulghur wheat or quinoa but are not actually a whole grain at all. Couscous is a staple in North Africa and eaten widely in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. Couscous is often steamed, fresh or dried and rehydrated and easy to find in most supermarkets. Rehydrating couscous is simple and quick, making it one of my favourite, fuss-free staples to serve on the side.
Endless flavours!
I use a broth or stock to rehydrate the couscous combined with a little ground cumin for a warming spice - use vegetable stock or meat stock - I'll often add a little ghee or butter at this stage too for even more flavour. In Morocco they use a fermented butter called 'smen' in couscous - its funky smell is most like a stinky blue cheese, if you're up for a challenge, make your own smen for the full Moroccan experience.
With or without Smen, the use of stock and butter gets us off to a great start. And when adding the wonderfully earthy roasted cauliflower and garlic, the flavours really start to develop (I also roast a little onion and red pepper too for a hit of sweetness). To counteract the roasted veg, I add fresh, tart tomatoes and then the whole affair is completed with a spritz of lemon and a generous handful of fresh herbs. It leaves us with the most amazing melding of flavours, colours and textures!
The results are fresh, light and fragrant - so simple and effective! You can experiment with whatever ingredients you have around the kitchen - I'll often add cooked green beans, chickpeas, radish, cucumber, roasted carrots or parsnip - the choices are endless. My go-to herbs are parsley, dill, mint and sometimes cilantro. It's a versatile dish that suits so many uses, and always sure to be jam-packed with flavour.
More delicious Moroccan and Mediterranean Recipes
If you like this couscous, why not try one or all of my favourite Moroccan and Mediterranean recipes.
How to make my Moroccan Couscous With Roasted Cauliflower & Garlic
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutesIngredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cauliflower (separated into small florets)
- ½ red onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 garlic bulb (separated into cloves - skin on)
- 1 red bell pepper (capsicum) (seeded and cut into chunks)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 cup couscous (plain)
- 1 cup vegetable stock (bring to boil)
- 1 tsp ghee (or butter) (optional)
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tomatoes (cut into chunks)
- 2 tbsp mint (chopped)
- 2 tbsp dill (chopped)
- 2 tbsp parsley (chopped)
- 1 lemon (for squeezing over salad)
- extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling - optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF/200ºCSeparate the cauliflower into small florets and arrange on a baking sheet with the onion, bell pepper and garlic. Drizzle over the olive oil and cumin seeds then season with salt and pepper and toss with your hands to ensure everything is coated.Roast in the oven for about 40 minutes until the everything is nicely charred.Remove from the oven and fish out the garlic cloves. Remove the skins and discard. Return the roasted garlic to the vegetables and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
- While the vegetables are cooking, bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan then turn off the heat. Add the couscous, ghee (if using) and cumin powder and a little salt & pepper and stir once. Put on a lid and leave for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes fluff up with a fork.
- In a large bowl, combine the couscous with the roasted vegetables. Gently stir in the tomatoes, mint, dill, parsley and the juice of half a lemon. Drizzle over a little extra virgin olive oil and season with a little more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve at room temperature with more lemon wedges to squeeze over.
Notes
Nutrition
This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Learn more.
