vegetable and bean couscous

i generally don't time how long it takes me to cook a recipe but this one was super quick! definitely around 30 minutes for such a delicious meal. this is why i now love couscous! it takes no time at all to cook and is in fact one of the very last things added and right after you can turn off the heat and it will do it's magic. it basically just soaks up all the liquid and expands with the heat already created so you don't have to precook the couscous, it's done quite instantly just by letting it sit for few minutes after cooking.

the most time consuming part of this recipe is cutting and preparing all the vegetables which is what i do first. this is going to be added to my "quick weekly recipe". another great thing about this recipe is you can put just about any vegetable or bean in this dish and it will work. so it is great for leftover veggies you don't know what to do with.

i looked at some various couscous recipes to see what the basics are in making couscous and most of the vegetables they suggested to use i did not have. so here is a list of all the different veggies you can use in your dish:

++ zucchini, squash, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes & veggies i used: carrots, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprout, onion ++

*i never really estimated how much of the vegetables i used but in general use how much of whatever vegetable you want. you can't really go wrong. i like a lot of vegetables in every bite so i generally do more.

ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 large carrots chopped
• broccoli chopped
• cauliflower chopped
• brussels sprout
• 1 can black beans (or any other kind) rinsed well
• 2 cups couscous
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• paprika about 2 tablespoons
• lots of salt & pepper 
• vegeta* (typical serbian spice used, optional)

 

how to:

1. heat in your large skillet on medium heat the olive oil and onion for a minute
2. add in your tougher veggies: cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprout, carrots- cook the veggies for a few minutes so they get a little softer but definitely will still be firm.
3. pour in your vegetable stock and season your dish with paprika, salt and pepper. i used plenty of salt and vegeta. you can even use red pepper flakes for some spiciness. play with it to your taste and feel free to definitely try your broth after spicing it to see how it tastes!
4. turn up the heat and bring your dish to a boil- then once its bubbling turn the heat to low
5. add in your beans and spinach- mix it all together for minute (also this is where you would add tomatoes if you used them)
6. now slowly add your measured out couscous- stir in well, you should already start to see the couscous soak up  your vegetable broth
7. cover quickly and remove your dish from the heat
8. let it sit for five minutes so the couscous can finish soaking
9. enjoy it with added red pepper flakes and sliced avocados on the side!