A Berber dish made up of spherical granules, couscous is a widely used cooking ingredient particularly in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States and Egypt. Furthermore, it is also commonly used in other places like Libya, Tunisia and Morocco. People can use it in combination with various kinds of vegetables including turnips, potatoes and carrots. Likewise, it is also good to combine it with different types of meat such as beef, lamb and chicken. For those who want to learn how to cook couscous, it might be ideal to make a beginning with the following recipes.
Moroccan Chicken and Couscous Salad
The first dish we are going to look at is Moroccan chicken and couscous salad.
Ingredients Required to Make Moroccan Chicken and Couscous Salad
The ingredients required to make this recipe include:
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh couscous
- 1½ cups uncooked couscous
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- freshly chopped parsley
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ cup chopped toasted almonds
- 2 tbsp raisins
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- ¾ cup thinly sliced scallion
- 1½ cups diced cooked chicken
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
To make this dish more special:
- 2 cups or about 6-ounces of snow peas
- 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp curry powder
Instructions to Make Moroccan Chicken Couscous Salad
The following simple steps will yield delicious and nutritious Moroccan chicken couscous salad.
- Place a medium-size saucepan over medium-heat. Pour in the chicken broth and wait until it boils. Add ½ tsp dried thyme, 1 1/2 cups of uncooked couscous and some freshly chopped parsley.
- Take the saucepan off the heat, put on the cover and allow it to stand for at least 5 minutes.
- Get a large bowl and then combine 1 teaspoon curry powder, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice together with 1/8 teaspoon of crushed red pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Stir in 1 tablespoon of cooked couscous.
- Next, add the remaining ingredients – 2 tablespoons of raisins, 1/2 cup of chopped green bell pepper, 3/4 cup of thinly sliced scallions, 1 1/2 cups of cooked diced chicken and 2 cups of snow peas. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Finally, add 1/4 cup of chopped and toasted almonds to the dish and serve.
Bulgarian-Style Couscous Salad
To make Bulgarian-style couscous salad, we will require the following ingredients.
Ingredients Required to Make Bulgarian-style couscous salad
The ingredients include:
- a piece of finely diced green pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups couscous
- a can of Greek olives
- 2 tsp minced fresh mint
- 2 tsp fresh oregano
- 1 minced small red onion
- 4 pieces of minced ripe potatoes
- a piece of crushed clove garlic
- ½ pound crumbled feta cheese
- ¾ cup wine vinegar
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- cucumber (peeled, seeded and diced)
Instructions to Make Bulgarian-Style Couscous Salad
The following simple steps will yield delectable Bulgarian-style couscous salad.
- In a nice large bowl, mix 2 cups of couscous with 2 cups of boiling chicken stock.
- Make it fluff occasionally for a duration of 10 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine 3/4 cup of wine vinegar and 2/3 cup of olive oil. Pour this mixture over the couscous.
- Add the rest of the ingredients.
- Mix well before refrigerating.
- Add more vinegar and oil before serving, depending on preferred taste.
Enjoy this delicious dish!
Additional Information on How to Cook Couscous
For more information on how to cook couscous, you can also read:
