Chickpea Raisin Couscous
Couscous can be paired with so many different vegetables, beans, or herbs to make a myriad of beautiful side dishes. I, of course, found a recipe with raisins! I adapted it from the recipe "Moroccan Couscous and Chickpea Salad," which I found on the internet. I have been discovering all sorts of new blogs lately through a website called TasteSpotting.com, which is this amazing site that provides links to the newest posts of hundreds of different food blogs every day! It has served as a great source of inspiration for me this year!
- 2 cups water
- 1 ½ cups plain couscous
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 yellow or red bell pepper, sliced
- ½ red onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 (16 oz) can chickpeas, drained
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add raisins about halfway through boiling time, allowing them to plump. When water is boiling, stir in couscous. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes, until water is absorbed.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add peppers and onions to skillet. Season with cumin, ginger, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Sauté until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes.
In small bowl, whisk together white wine vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Combine chickpeas and seasoned vegetables with couscous. Toss with white wine vinegar dressing. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Couscous could not be easier to make! Seriously, what can be better than "Just Add Water." You can purchase couscous in large containers, but I decided to buy just a small a box. The company Near East sells boxes of plain couscous as well as flavors like toasted pine nut and cheddar broccoli. They are usually stocked by the rice. There was exactly 1 1/2 cups in one box. I used half of a red pepper and half of a yellow pepper in this dish, as well as red onion, and I really liked how colorful it came out. The spices in this dish also came together perfectly, and the white wine vinegar dressing helped add some flavor to the couscous. I was really pleased with the final product!