Roasted vegetable couscous recipe

This roasted vegetable couscous is packed with the delicious flavours of charred courgette, pepper and red onion.

Couscous is such a great addition to midweek meals. Firstly, it's quick to cook, and very easy. You don't even need an extra pan for it, just a heatproof bowl and a kettle. Secondly, it's healthy. Couscous is a plant-based protein (excellent for vegetarians and vegans), and it contains more vitamins and minerals than other common carbohydrates like white rice. This roasted vegetable couscous makes a delicious meal in itself, but if you want something a little more substantial, serve it as a side dish topped with a piece of grilled salmon or pork escalopes. Alternatively, for vegetarians add some grilled halloumi.

Ingredients

• 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and chopped
• 2 courgettes, sliced
• 1 large red or regular onion, sliced
• 1tbsp vegetable oil
• 300g couscous
• 450ml reduced salt vegetable stock
• 16 cherry tomatoes
• Ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Put the peppers, courgettes and onion into a roasting tin and add the vegetable oil, tossing to coat. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, turning over after 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, put the couscous into a heatproof bowl and add the hot stock, stirring to mix. Cover and leave for 10-15 minutes to soak and swell, then stir with a fork to fluff up the grains.
4. Remove the vegetables from the oven and add the cherry tomatoes and couscous, stirring them through. Season with some pepper. Return to the oven for a further 5 minutes to heat through, then serve.

Top tip for making roasted vegetable couscous

You can make this dish go further (and keep it suitable for vegans) by adding a drained can of chickpeas to the raw couscous before you add the hot stock.

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