Healthy recipes are common in my house. I am very fortunate my mother-in-law stays with us during the year for months at a time. She cooks a LOT. It’s so nice for me because I get more work done and get to play with the kids more. Plus I love her cooking. Last week she made a tabbouleh recipe with couscous just out of the blue.
Healthy Recipes: Tabbouleh Recipe with Couscous
Couscous is a staple in Moroccan diets. They eat couscous as a big meal with stewed meat and veggies, sweet with cinnamon and sugar, or in salads like this tabbouleh recipe with couscous. We eat lots of Moroccan food in this house!
I was so surprised when she made this – I always seems to have an “eh” feel about tabbouleh. I could take it or leave it. But I always bought it from the store. I never had it freshly made. But after trying this tabbouleh recipe with couscous I am hooked. And how healthy it is!
Health Benefits of Couscous
Couscous is an amazing source of vegetarian protein. For one cup of cooked couscous, you get 6 grams of protein and 0.5 gram of fat, which helps support healthy skin, muscles, organs and other body tissues. Couscous is also rich in fiber – it absorbs water and swells in your digestive tract helping you feel full. It also keeps food moving through your body preventing constipation.
This is a great option for those who are not looking for gluten-free recipe! I enjoyed the leftovers for lunch with some cheese and sliced tomato inside the homemade bread made with flour and semolina.
Tabbouleh Recipe with Couscous
- 1/2 cup dry bulghur wheat
- 1/2 cup dry couscous
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup good olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup minced scallions (white and green parts (1 bunch))
- 1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (1 bunch)
- 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)
- 1 hothouse cucumber (unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced)
- 2 cups plum tomatoes (diced)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Place the bulghur and couscous in a large bowl, pour in the boiling water, and add the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir, then allow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.
- Add the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper; mix well. Season, to taste, and serve or cover and refrigerate. The flavor will improve if the tabbouleh sits for a few hours.
[…] Couscous is a staple in Moroccan food. They eat couscous as a big meal with stewed meat and veggies, sweet with cinnamon and sugar, or in salads like this tabbouleh recipe with couscous. […]