Vegetable couscous is a simple, colorful dish, prepared with lots of fresh vegetables cut into small dice and slowly cooked with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Zucchini, carrots, peppers, leek and mushrooms come together in a fragrant, flavorful sauce that makes this vegetarian couscous light but very tasty, and you can choose and add whichever vegetables you prefer!
It is a perfect recipe for any season: it can be served hot right away, but it is also great cold, becoming an ideal option for a quick first course, for a packed lunch or for a light dinner.
On the blog you’ll also find many other variations of couscous, from more Mediterranean and Sicilian flavors like Sicilian-style fish couscous, to fresher and quicker versions like couscous with tuna and zucchini, couscous with sweet-and-sour zucchini, couscous with summer vegetable caponata or the fresh couscous salad with octopus, avocado and tomato.
This vegetable couscous is one of the simplest to prepare, it is a vegetarian and naturally vegan recipe, perfect for anyone looking for a healthy, balanced and easy-to-make dish. Great both hot and cold, vegetable couscous is ideal for a light lunch, for summer or to take with you.
It allows you to bring a healthy, balanced and colorful dish to the table. Ready to make it together? Let’s head to the kitchen, but before cooking, remember that if you want to stay updated on new recipes you can follow my Facebook page and my Instagram profile.
Also check out these couscous recipes:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Air fryer
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make vegetable couscous
To make vegetable couscous I chose peppers, leek, carrots, zucchini and champignon mushrooms. In short, what I had in the fridge, but you can add onion, spring onions, pumpkin, cauliflower or broccoli — whatever you prefer and what’s in season.
- 1 leek
- 1 bell pepper (large, red or yellow)
- 3 carrots (medium)
- 5 bunches champignon mushrooms
- 2 zucchini (medium)
- 7 oz (about 1 1/8 cups) dry couscous
- as needed water
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- as needed salt
Tools to make vegetable couscous
- Bowl
- Air fryers
- Vegetable cutter
Steps to make vegetable couscous
To prepare the vegetable couscous, start by washing and preparing all the vegetables. Cut the leek and dice the zucchini, carrots, pepper and mushrooms into small cubes, trying to keep them roughly the same size so they cook evenly. I used a vegetable cutter to speed things up.
Gather all the vegetables in the air fryer basket, season them with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt and mix well.
Cook them until they are soft and lightly golden, stirring halfway through so they cook evenly — this will take about 15-20 minutes.
If you don’t have an air fryer you can also cook the vegetables in a pan, sautéing them with a drizzle of oil until tender, or in the oven at about 356°F for around twenty minutes, stirring halfway through.
Meanwhile, place the couscous in a bowl and cover it with boiling water lightly salted. Let it rest for about 5 minutes, then fluff well with a fork.
When the vegetables are ready, add the couscous and mix well so everything is well seasoned.
Your vegetable couscous is ready to serve, delicious both hot and cold.
Storage notes and tips
Vegetable couscous can be stored in the refrigerator for about 2 days in an airtight container. Before serving you can mix it with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to restore softness.
This recipe is very versatile and can be easily customized based on the season or what you have at home. You can add, for example, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, peas or chickpeas to make the dish even richer and more nutritious.
The vegetables can be cooked in the air fryer, as in this recipe, but also in a pan with a drizzle of oil or in the oven at about 356°F until they are soft and lightly golden.
Vegetable couscous is great both hot just made and cold, making it perfect for a summer lunch, for a packed lunch or for a buffet.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you properly fluff couscous?After letting it rest with hot water, simply stir it with a fork to separate the grains well and avoid clumping.
Can I prepare vegetable couscous in advance?
Yes, in fact it tastes even better after a few hours because the flavors meld together more.
Can I use other vegetables?
Certainly. This recipe is very flexible: you can also use eggplant, zucchini, peas, pumpkin, onions, cherry tomatoes or chickpeas…
Can vegetable couscous be eaten cold?
Yes, it’s perfect cold too and is ideal as a summer couscous salad.
