Its hard for me to declare any type of food my favorite, there are so many that I love. But one of my favorites is definitely Mediterranean food. It just seems so fresh and healthy, and this Mediterranean Couscous Bowl definitely embodies fresh and healthy. It is one of the meals I make frequently for easy weeknight dinners, and I love that it is also vegetarian.
I could eat chickpeas in every meal. One of the first recipes I put up on this site is my snack recipe for Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas. Looking at it, that is also a page I really need to update soon! I literally make them at least once a week. Chickpeas are a great way to get protein into meals and snacks, and the crunchy chickpeas in this dish really heightens it.
The base of this Mediterranean Couscous Bowl recipe is Israeli couscous, which is bigger than regular couscous and goes great in many recipes, especially when it is toasted first before you cook it. Zucchini and tomatoes are baked and added to the couscous. Chopped cucumbers, roasted chickpeas and crumbled feta cheese are also added to the bowl. Then everything is topped with a rich creamy feta dressing.
Mediterranean Couscous Bowl
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients
- 1 zucchini
- 4 oz grape tomatoes
- 15.5 oz can chickpeas
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ cup israeli couscous
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp sour cream
- ½ cup feta cheese
- 1 cucumber
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Dice zucchini into ½ inch pieces and halve the grape tomatoes. Place both zucchini and tomatoes onto a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the veggies are tender.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas, dry them as much as possible. Add the chickpeas to a baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, paprika and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast the chickpeas on the top rack of the oven for 15-20 minutes until they are golden and crispy.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mince garlic cloves and add to butter and cook for 1 minute. Add the couscous and cook for 3-4 minutes until the couscous is toasted. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the broth along with ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 6-8 minutes until the couscous is tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Whisk together sour cream, 2 tablespoon feta, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add water to the mixture 1 teaspoon at a time until the mixture becomes thin enough to drizzle.
- Chop the cucumber into ½ inch pieces. Add cucumber, half the zucchini and tomatoes mixture, half the remaining feta, and lemon juice to the couscous. Stir to combine.
- Divide the couscous among bowls. Top with chickpeas, remaining veggies and feta. Drizzle the feta dressing over everything and serve.
