Couscous with Pine Nuts & Preserved Lemons

A five-minute side dish featuring couscous, toasted pine nuts, and preserved lemons

I've gotten away from couscous in recent years, with a greater focus on substituting ancient grains like quinoa and farro, but this recipe converted me again. Couscous falls somewhere between a grain and pasta, but I generally treat it more like a grain. The best part of making couscous is that it literally takes five minutes to cook - just empty a box into boiling liquid (I like using low-sodium chicken broth for more flavor), cover with a lid, turn off the heat, and in 5 minutes you will have perfect couscous. I added in toasted pine nuts for crunch, preserved lemons for salt and acidity, and chopped cilantro for freshness. We ate it alongside a chicken tagine for a fun, Moroccan-inspired meal at home.

Note: Preserved lemons can be found in some specialty food stores or online here. But it's just as easy to make your own.


Related Recipes:
- Balsamic Vegetable Couscous
- Root Vegetable Quinoa Salad
- Tabbouleh


Couscous with Pine Nuts & Preserved Lemons:

• Bring 2 c. of low-sodium chicken broth* to a low boil, stir in 2 c. of couscous, turn off the heat, and cover with a lid.
• Let sit for 5 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a fork.
• Stir in 1/4 c. toasted pine nuts, the rind from 1/2 preserved lemon, a handful of chopped fresh cilantro.
• Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary.**
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves four-six (side dish)

*Or water or vegetable stock to keep it vegetarian.

**The preserved lemons will already add a lot of salt, so more might not be needed.