Garlicky Israeli Couscous
I wanted a simple side dish to pair with roasted chicken and a spinach sauté I was serving for dinner so I made this easy garlicky Israeli couscous recipe. We all loved this dish and thought it paired well with the rest of the meal. This couscous recipe was super easy to make which was nice because the other recipes needed my attention.
Garlicky Israeli Couscous
Ingredients:
- 1¾ cup of chicken broth, heated until hot **You can also use vegetable broth for a vegetarian version.
- 2-3 tsp olive oil
- 1⅓ cup of Israeli couscous
- Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
How to Make Garlicky Israeli Couscous
Heat the chicken (or vegetable) broth in the microwave for 75 seconds, or until hot. Set aside.
Heat a large saucepan coated with olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the Israeli couscous and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and minced garlic then cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
Add the hot broth then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cover and cook for 12-15 minutes, until the broth has evaporated and the couscous has cooked through.
Add the freshly chopped parsley and mix until well combined. Pour into a serving dish and serve immediately. Enjoy.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1¾ cup of chicken broth, heated until hot **You can also use vegetable broth for a vegetarian version.
- 2-3 tsp olive oil
- 1⅓ cup of Israeli couscous
- Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat the chicken (or vegetable) broth in the microwave for 75 seconds, or until hot. Set aside.
- Coat a large saucepan with olive oil. Once hot, add the Israeli couscous and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and minced garlic then cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
- Add the hot broth then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cook for 12-15 minutes, until the broth has evaporated and the couscous has cooked through.
- Add the freshly chopped parsley and mix until well combined. Pour into a serving dish and serve immediately. Enjoy.
Pam look deliciius!
I love couscous salad!
xo
It’s amazing how garlic can take a side from bland to terrific!
I added a litter curry spice to this recipe and it was fantastic.
Hi Pam!! Happy New Year! I just caught up with your blog. Looks like you had a wonderful trip to Idaho!!! Lots of snow, and fun!!!!! Those cinnamon rolls!!! Wow!!! And who is the quilter? I see a quilt on the back of a chair your brother in law is sitting in?
Looks like fun. Always nice to come home though. Happy New Year to you and yours!
xo Kris
I love giant cous cous, this is a must with some spicy chicken!
I have never had israeli couscous…this sounds and looks very tasty and flavourful with garlic.
I love Israeli couscous! Mmm, this sounds really good. I have to remember to try using broth instead of water.
Love this! Israeli couscous reminds of pastina. Its so good!
From the title I thought–this sounds good, but probably complicated. Sometimes it’s fun to be wrong. Ha!
One of my favorites and it looks like you added quite a bit of flavor.
Mmm I’m all about the garlic and this sounds fabulous!
i don’t have time for tiny couscous–israeli is the way to go! i love the bigger balls and i love how you’ve prepared it!
Lately I have been obsessed with couscous. So I’ve been searching for recipes. This one spunds great I’m going to try it for sure.
I love Israeli couscous, and a simple garlicky recipes for it sounds great! perfect side dish.
I love couscous. I love the flavors in this, Pam!
Such a delicious side or with salad. xo Catherine
What temperature should the burner be set to when making this? And do you cover it after adding the broth? We tried it the other night and loved the flavor, but I’m new to couscous and think it may have been stickier than it was supposed to be, so I’m trying to make sure everything is the way it should be this time. ☺
Kalen,
Thanks for letting me know it wasn’t clear, I have corrected the recipe. Heat on medium heat and cover with a lid.
Pam
I burned the first batch on the bottom because burner was too high. Tried again because I’m stubborn like that! After you add the broth turn burner down to low summer – I set electric burner to 1 and it was perfect. Also I used a pot rather than a skillet and stirred a couple of times.
Just made this as part of the meal prep I do for the week ahead. I’ve never toasted my couscous before the rest of the cook, and it adds a wonderfully nutty flavor to the whole dish. Thanks for this easy and flavorful recipe, Pam!
I loved this. Simple. Easy. Easy to add your own touch. I added some butter to calm the heat of the red pepper. Must’ve used too much and then added a splash of lemon. Very tasty. I’ll be making this again as a side dish. However. the broth to couscous wasn’t accurate. Or the cooking instructions were off. The couscous absorbed the broth too quickly and it ended up not being cooked enough. The couscous was dry and chewy. Had to add more broth, start it boiling again and simmering it for a bit longer. Next time I’ll be using 2 cups of broth for the 1 1/3 cup of couscous and once the hot broth hits the pan and begins to bubble, lower it to a simmer.
Kazy,
I’m glad you enjoyed the couscous and that you were able to tweak the recipe to suit your tastes. Thanks for sharing your tips.
-Pam
AMAZING Recipe. Was truly blown away by the flavor.
Bridget,
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
-Pam
This recipe is wonderful. Loved every bite. Thank you.
Michele,
I’m so happy you loved this recipe. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
-Pam
This changes things for me. I already loved pearl couscous but this recipe is great, I add lemon to it and I eat it often instead of Mac or potatoes.
Jamie,
Adding lemon is a terrific idea! I’m so glad you are enjoying this recipe. Thank you so much for letting me know.
-Pam
Ive taken the recipe to a new level, I’ve kept everything the same but added 2 and 1/2 tablespoons of Massachusetts pure maple syrup, depending on the main course
Todd,
Sounds tasty! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
-Pam
This was delicious. I sauteed about 1/4 or so cup of chopped red pepper with the garlic and used Aleppo pepper rather than red pepper flakes. At the end of the cooking time, off the heat, I stirred in some baby Arugula and spinach. Served this with Cod with roasted tomatoes, shallots, lemon and basil and sauteed green beans. The cod and the couscous cooked just about the same amount of time . It was perfect. Thanks for a great recipe.
CherieDe,
Your adjustments sound delicious and I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
-Pam
I needed a vegan dish for a pot luck. Instead of using vegetable broth, which is high in sodium, I made a strong tea of cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds (1/2 tsp. of each brewed in boiling water fo 20 minutes). I used green salt (ground sea asparagus), a lovely lower sodium alternative, and did carmelize a small, minced, purple onion in the oil befote adding the couscous and other ingredients. It was very tasty and my guests who have salt resrictions were pleased with the results.
Sissy,
What a healthy & tasty adaption. Thanks for sharing!
-Pam
Um, the list of ingredients doesn’t say anything about parsley. How much is needed?
Marion,
Sorry! Thanks for letting me know. I’ve corrected the recipe to add the 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley.
-Pam