by Kylie PerrottiPosted on October 26, 2021November 11, 2021
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This harissa couscous with fennel is the pearl couscous with harissa recipe you’ve been waiting for. It’s easy to make and absolutely loaded with flavor.
One of my favorite things in the world is a recipe that is no fuss but has huge flavor. This pearl couscous with harissa is one such recipe.
You only need a few ingredients–all of which are easily interchangeable depending on the season and what’s in your pantry. You need fennel, onion, butter, harissa, pearl couscous, and a bit of water, salt, and pepper. That’s it. How you garnish this harissa couscous is up to your imagination, and I left some ideas below, so keep reading!
How to make this recipe:
First, cook the onion and fennel. You want the fennel to really deepen in color, so let it sizzle for a good 7–9 minutes over a medium to medium-high flame, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent it from burning. Once the fennel is beautifully browned, melt a few tablespoons of butter. Add the harissa paste and let it sizzle in the butter and toss the aromatics in it until well-coated. You can use your favorite harissa paste, but my favorite brand is New York Shuk. You can pick up a jar of New York Shuk’s Signature Harissa from my shop!
Once the vegetables are all coated, add the couscous and cook it for 1–2 minutes. Pour in stock or water and bring to a boil. From there, simply reduce heat, let it simmer for about 20–25 minutes and that’s it.
How should you garnish this pearl couscous with harissa? As I said, it’s up to your imagination and what you have on hand. I made a beautiful citrus labneh sauce in addition to pomegranate seeds and fennel fronds. Here are a few more suggestions:
Golden raisins soaked in a bit of oil and lemon juice
Toppings:
Crushed pistachios
Pumpkin seeds
Slivered almonds
Mint leaves, parsley, or cilantro
Minced scallions
Toasted pine nuts
Looking for more vegetarian recipes? Check myarchives!
If you made this recipe, please rate it and comment below! You can alsofollow meand share your creations by tagging me! I’d love to feature your #triedandtruerecipes creation on my feed.
This harissa couscous with fennel is the pearl couscous with harissa recipe you've been waiting for. It's easy to make and absolutely loaded with flavor.
Heat the oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fennel and cook, occasionally stirring, for 7–10 minutes until they begin to deepen in color. Adjust the heat as necessary to prevent burning. Continue cooking until the fennel is a deep, golden brown—season with salt and pepper.
Cook the harissa paste:
Melt the butter into the fennel and onions. Once melted and bubbly, add the harissa paste and let it sizzle in the butter for 30 seconds. Toss to coat the aromatics in the paste for 45 seconds more.
Cook the couscous:
Add the pearl couscous and toss to coat. Cook for 1–2 minutes.
Simmer the couscous:
Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes until the couscous is tender. Add more water, if necessary, if the liquid evaporates too quickly or if the couscous sticks. You may need to add up to ¼ cup or ½ cup of additional water—taste and season with salt and pepper.
Prepare the labneh sauce:
While the couscous simmers, combine the labneh, lemon juice, and a big pinch of salt and stir. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition until the sauce is a drizzling consistency—taste and season with more salt.
To serve:
Divide the couscous between plates and spoon the labneh sauce on top. Garnish with fennel fronds and pomegranate seeds. Enjoy!
Couscous (Arabic: كُسْكُس, romanized: kuskus) is a traditional North African dish of small steamed granules of rolled semolina that is often served with a stew spooned on top.
Couscous is a staple dish in many North African countries including Morocco, a country I dream of visiting one day. While it resembles a tiny grain of rice or quinoa, couscous is pasta. It's made from semolina flour (semolina is a flour made from durum wheat and is used in most traditional kinds of pasta) and water.
Israeli couscous—also called ptitim, giant couscous, and pearl couscous—is often thought of as a whole grain, but it's actually a type of pasta made of semolina flour and water, developed in the 1950s by prime minister David Ben-Gurion as a way to feed the influx of immigrants to Israel.
Couscous is packed with nutrients and has better selenium per serving than white rice when it comes to selenium and other elements. It is light and filling, making it a good choice for busy professionals, families and people who don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen to prepare a healthy, delicious meal.
If your couscous is always boring and flat-tasting, try cooking it in something besides plain water. Couscous has a natural nutty flavor that isn't exactly explosive, but can be enhanced to great effect by a flavorful liquid.
Couscous is a traditional Moroccan dish, eaten on Fridays - the day of congregational prayer. Huge groups gather around one big table a eat the dish together, normally by hand. Lben, a type of buttermilk, is the drink paired with the dish.
This fundamental dish to Moroccan cuisine is cooked in large quantities and is commonly enjoyed on the national Moroccan holy day, Friday. Couscous is usually served in a communal dish and represents the opportunity to gather and share with family and friends. It is hard to trace back the origins of couscous.
Today, in Northern Africa and Morocco couscous continues to be an important part of many meals. However, the food has travelled all around the world. In Medieval times, the Muslim parts of Spain (al-Andalus) widely consumed couscous, and from this entry point the food spread throughout Europe.
It makes a fluffy bed for veggies, fish, and meats, and perfectly soaks up hearty Moroccan chicken or lamb stews. You can even chill your couscous and toss it into a tasty Mediterranean salad! It's true what they say about it—it's the pasta so nice, they named it twice!
Moroccan couscous: Tiny grains of semolina are about three times the size of a grain of cornmeal. This type cooks very quickly. Israeli couscous: These semolina pellets are about the size of peppercorns and will take much longer to cook. This type is usually steamed in the traditional long-cooking method.
Traditionally, Tagine cooks in a conical-shaped two-piece terra-cotta pot, called a tagine, over low heat with meat, veggies, olive oil and spices. Couscous cooks in a couscoussier, a taller metal pot with a slightly bulbous base, a steamer and a lid.
Whole wheat couscous is more nutritious that the regular variety. It's made from whole wheat durum flour. It contains 5 to 6 grams of fiber per serving, which can help you meet the recommended daily amount of fiber. Couscous has a mild flavor which makes it extremely versatile.
Compared to couscous, quinoa has stronger anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. With 7 percent fewer calories per 100 grams of cooked couscous than quinoa, it is healthier for weight loss. Every 100 grams of cooked quinoa has 120 calories. Every 100 grams of cooked couscous has 112 calories.
Couscous is often considered a healthy alternative to pasta since it's made from whole-wheat flour. Other types of pasta are typically more refined. Properly cooked, couscous is light and fluffy. What's more, it tends to take on the flavor of other ingredients, making it very versatile.
It makes a fluffy bed for veggies, fish, and meats, and perfectly soaks up hearty Moroccan chicken or lamb stews. You can even chill your couscous and toss it into a tasty Mediterranean salad! It's true what they say about it—it's the pasta so nice, they named it twice!
Season with a pinch of pepper and salt. Pour in the warm water and then quickly stir the couscous using a fork because you want to avoid any couscous lumps later. Cover the dish with cling film or a lid for 10 minutes while the couscous is absorbing the liquid.
Like most Moroccan meals, couscous is traditionally served in a communal large round plate that everyone sits around to enjoy together. It's usually accompanied by small bowls full of extra broth to pour over the couscous.
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