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Whole-Wheat Couscous Pilaf

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Submitted by happyzhangbo

Whole-wheat couscous pilaf with chicken broth, hot sauce and fresh parsley. Healthy 10-minute side dish with a touch of heat.

YIELD

4 servings

PREP

5 min

COOK

0 min

READY

9 min

Don’t call this a recipe so much as a technique every home cook should know. Whole-wheat couscous cooked in seasoned chicken broth with a splash of hot sauce and fresh parsley turns into a flavorful pilaf in 10 minutes. It’s the “what goes with the chicken?" answer for a weeknight.

The steam-off-heat method is the entire trick. Bring the liquid to a boil, stir in the couscous, cover tight, and walk away for 5 minutes. No stirring, no watching. The trapped steam does all the work while the grains absorb the broth and plump up.

Hot sauce adds a background warmth, not front-line spice. A half teaspoon won’t register as “spicy” on the plate, but you’ll notice its absence if you skip it. That’s how you know an ingredient is doing real flavor work.

Kitchen Tips

  • Use a saucepan with a truly tight-fitting lid. Loose lids let steam escape, and undercooked couscous is the result. If the lid doesn’t seal well, lay a clean kitchen towel between pan and lid.
  • Fluff aggressively with a fork, not a spoon. Forks separate the grains without crushing them; spoons pack them into a wedge.
  • Add the parsley at the end, off the heat. Hot-cooked parsley turns bitter and loses its bright green color.

Variations

  • Swap chicken broth for vegetable broth for a full vegetarian pilaf.
  • Stir in toasted pine nuts, dried cranberries, or chopped dates after fluffing for textural interest.
  • Add a pinch of saffron or smoked paprika to the broth for a Moroccan-inspired twist that pairs with stews and braises.

Ingredients

1 ¼ 296
CUPS ML CHICKEN BROTH, LOW SALT
or water
1 5
TEASPOON ML UNSALTED BUTTER
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML SAUCE
hot *
¼ 1.3
TEASPOON ML SALT
1 ½ 355
CUPS ML COUSCOUS
whole wheat
1 15
TABLESPOON ML PARSLEY LEAVES
chopped fresh
1
X BLACK PEPPER
freshly ground, to taste *

Directions

Combine broth or water, butter, hot sauce and salt in a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and bring to a boil.

Stir in couscous and remove from heat.

Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Uncover and fluff the grains with a fork to separate.

Stir in parsley.

Season with pepper.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 142g (5.0 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 264 6% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 3mg 1%
Sodium 177mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 17%
Dietary Fiber 3g 13%
Sugars g
Protein 20g
Vitamin A 2% Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 2% Iron 5%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Low Fat, Low in Saturated Fat, Low Cholesterol, Trans-fat Free, Good source of fiber, Sugar-Free
 
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