Couscous is a very healthy base for your meals. It is a good carb and it goes well with pretty much anything! There is a debate on what couscous actually is. Many consider it a grain, while others claim it is pasta due to it being made from the same type of flour, durum wheat semolina.
The difference is that couscous is made from crushed durum wheat, whereas pasta is made from the ground type. Therefore, it is technically from the pasta family, but we can put it into a category of its own, just to keep the peace. It is very easy to prepare as all you need to do is steam it for a few minutes until it is light and fluffy.
There are a few different types of couscous that you should be aware of. Moroccan couscous is small and made of semolina. It is often sold pre-cooked so it only needs to be steamed when it comes to preparation.
Israeli couscous is also made from semolina but it is bigger in size and carries a nuttier flavor. The largest of them all is called pearl couscous. This is also made from semolina but takes longer to cook as it’s bigger in size.
As some cultures serve rice with most meals, others do this with couscous. This grain/pasta/carb is vegan-friendly and is a lovely way to add some carbs to your meals. Here are 15 vegan couscous recipes.
This delicious recipe uses pearled couscous. This is a fast and easy meal to prepare. It can be served as a flavorful main dish or a hearty side. Portobello mushrooms give it a lovely wholesome taste, and you can keep this vegan friendly by including vegetable broth.
Only taking 20 minutes to prepare, this is a lovely wintery meal that’ll keep you warm and satisfied.
If you’d like to impress your guests at a dinner party, why not wow them with this stuffed bell pepper recipe. The peppers are filled with couscous and other vegetables such as green onions and then roasted altogether.
What makes this dish pop is the lemon juice that’s been added to the couscous mixture. If you’re into colorful dishes this is the one for you. This would make a great side or main dish.
This light and flavorful couscous salad is packed with color and nutrients and is a refreshing meal for those warmer months. All you’ll need for this salad are cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and tofu!
You could even make a big batch of it and keep it in the fridge for those lunchtimes where you don’t have time to make something from scratch. It is obvious this salad has some Mediterranean influence in it.
If you’d like to take this further you could add some kalamata olives, fresh or roasted peppers, and even some crumbled vegan feta cheese.
This is another light and refreshing option made with pearl couscous. If you can’t find pearl couscous, then orzo would be a good replacement. This dish will be ready in less than half an hour! It’s perfect if you are into meal preparation for the week as you can make a big batch and save it in the fridge for a few days.
This delicious meal contains artichoke hearts, tomatoes, capers, shallots, preserved lemon, and vinaigrette. It’s totally satisfying and super healthy!
Rewinding back to wintertime, this recipe is perfect for a cold wintery night. Filled with chickpeas, coconut milk, and fresh spices, this heartwarming curry only takes 25 minutes to make! Combining couscous with chickpeas will also leave you full and satisfied, not to mention filling this dish with healthy carbs.
Coconut milk is the magical ingredient that makes this dish super creamy. It is a great alternative to heavy cream and contains loads of vitamins and healthy fats.
This recipe may have more prep time than the previous options we’ve looked at, but it’s worth it for these little cakes of goodness. These little couscous cakes are packed with veggies and spices for an insane flavor.
By mixing the steamed couscous with flour, along with the veggies and spices, it has them turn into a dough. This allows you to shape them into little patties for you to bake. A lovely side dish for the wintery months.
This couscous pilaf is derived from the rice dish, rice pilaf, a dish where rice is sauteed with aromatic spices before boiling in broth. This dish is made by frying all the vegetables together and then adding vegetable broth.
The couscous is then added along with spices such as garlic and onion powder. This is a perfect side dish and is very simple to whip up.
This healthy slow cooker recipe will not disappoint you with its heartwarming vegetables, protein-filled chickpeas, and flavorsome spices. The aromas of this Morrocan dish will take you straight over there. Using a slow cooker is perfect if you want to bring together some beautiful flavors but don’t have much time to be over a stove.
The preparation time is only 20 minutes and the cooking time is 8 hours. You can throw all the ingredients together in the morning and have it ready for you to eat when you get home from work!
This recipe is all about the greens. Green vegetables are filled with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, so it’s great to add them wherever you can and this recipe is full of them!
This dish will have you making your own green herb paste, with parsley and mint leaves, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, chili flakes, and salt and pepper. Blend these all together and voila! You’ve made your own little herb paste.
This is to be mixed directly with the couscous to give it a lovely refreshing taste. Sprinkled with roasted almonds and red pepper, this recipe is a great side dish or main.
Wanting to add more flavor? Add vegetable stock instead of water to the couscous.
This 15-minute colorful salad is a lovely option for the dinner table at Thanksgiving or Christmas. The delicious combination of sweetness from the cranberries and pomegranate, the crunch from the pistachios, and refreshing flavors from the orange and mint make this a truly unique recipe.
This is perfect if you’ve got any vegans at the table, and would also work as a side dish. As this is a fruity couscous salad, you are advised to only cook the couscous with water and not broth, as you will get lots of flavor towards the end once you’ve added the fruits.
If you want even more flavor, add some citrus zest to the fluffy couscous.
Ever get sick of revolving around the same kind of breakfast foods? Couscous for breakfast may sound strange, but this sweet, tasty treat will have you excited to get out of bed in the morning. All you need is some plant milk, honey, some fruits, cinnamon, and some pistachios.
It only takes 10 minutes to make. By heating up the milk with some cinnamon before adding in the couscous, some lovely wintery flavors will be created. This recipe sprinkles some dried apricots and raspberries over it, but you can use other fruits such as strawberries, or dried mango.
Mograbieh, also known as pearl couscous, is a Lebanese street food dish. It originally has animal protein, but this recipe has changed it to meet the requirements of a plant-based diet. This does contain Lebanese 7 spice, but allspice is a good alternative.
This heartwarming dish is made by mixing whole shallots, chickpeas, and spices such as cumin and allspice (Lebanese 7 spice), along with caraway seeds.
Serve it up with some chopped-up fresh tomato and cucumber.
This super simple Mexican couscous dish is bursting with flavor. Cooking the couscous in a cup of salsa mixed with water, really makes the flavor pop. Stir in some black beans and serve with some avocado and bam! Here’s your little Mexican inspired meal.
This cold couscous salad is the perfect accompanying dish you can take to family gatherings and BBQs. It has a Mediterranean twist by adding Kalamata olives and olive oil. Vegetable broth is used to cook the pearl couscous to give it some flavor.
The asparagus is then roasted or steamed and added to the couscous. The rest of the ingredients such as garlic powder, olives, spinach, peppers are all tossed together to make this wonderful refreshing meal.
One way of making sure you’re incorporating enough vegetables in your diet is just by frying them all together along with some couscous. Stir-fries are known for being easy, so why not make this your new week-night staple dinner?
Grab some veggies such as zucchini, onion, garlic, corn, and peppers. Add in some beans, cumin, cilantro, and lime juice. Mix it all together with the couscous and there you have it!
This also makes a great filling for a tortilla wrap if you want some extra carbs a lettuce wrap for some extra crunch!
Final Thoughts
It’s safe to say that all these vegan couscous recipes look scrumptious! They’re also simple and very quick to put together. Whether you’re vegan, or just looking to incorporate more veggies into your diet, you can’t go wrong by recreating some of these recipes. Bon Appetit!
Hi, my name is Brett White, and I have a passion for cooking, and following a raw diet. Eating raw has completely changed how I view food, and has led me down a much healthier and happier path in life over the last three years.
Through Addicted To Veggies, I want to share with you my favorite raw recipes. From brownie recipes, to recipes containing pumpkin, my site is full of delicious and wonderful options to consider.
