Couscous is a traditional product in North and West Africa and the Middle East. This Mediterranean type of semolina pasta goes well with almost all meats, seafood and many vegetables.
How to make couscous
There are several types of couscous. Most often, an instant product comes on sale, which is enough to pour boiling water in a ratio of 1 to 2, cover with foil, a lid or a plate and leave to swell for ¬3-5 minutes. Then beat the couscous with a fork and add oil and spices. Durum wheat couscous takes a little longer to cook in a slightly different way. Boil 1 cup of water, add ½ teaspoon of salt and 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter. Reduce heat to low, add couscous, stir and cover. Cook for 5-7 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave the couscous covered for the same amount of time. Whisk the finished product with a fork, add other ingredients - herbs, dried fruits, sun-dried tomatoes, nuts, garlic, lemon zest, bell peppers - and serve as a side dish or use to prepare other dishes.
If the couscous seems a little dry to you, pour a little more boiling water into it, stir and hold it for a few minutes under the lid.
How to make couscous soup
Couscous is also used in soups. In this case, the "pasta" is added shortly before the dish is ready. To make a light Mediterranean couscous soup, you will need:
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil;
- 1 chopped onion head;
- 500 grams of chicken meat from the thighs;
- ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper;
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin;
- 1 teaspoon of salt;
- ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper;
- 1 sweet potato tuber, peeled and diced;
- 1 zucchini, diced;
- ¾ glasses of tomato paste;
- 2 cups of chicken broth;
- 1 glass of water;
- ½ glass of couscous;
1/3 cup freshly chopped parsley
You can replace sweet potatoes with ordinary ones, without much detriment to the taste of the dish.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Slice the chicken into longitudinal strips. Turn up the heat and sauté the chicken in a saucepan with onions, seasoning with cayenne pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook, also stirring, for another 3-4 minutes. Place the sweet potato and zucchini cubes in a saucepan, add the tomato puree, broth and water. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook soup until vegetables are done. This will take about 10 minutes. Add couscous, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the soup from heat, cover the pot with a lid and let sit for 3-4 minutes. Season with parsley and serve.
