Light Fluffy North African Couscous (Printable version)

Quickly prepare fluffy couscous with herbs, nuts, and lemon for a versatile side dish.

# What You'll Need:

01 - 1 cup medium-grain or instant couscous

02 - 1 cup water or vegetable broth

03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

04 - ½ teaspoon salt

05 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

06 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice

07 - 2 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds or pine nuts

08 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

01 - In a medium saucepan, bring water or broth, olive oil, and salt to a boil.

02 - Remove from heat, stir in couscous, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.

03 - Fluff couscous gently with a fork to separate the grains.

04 - Stir in parsley, lemon juice, nuts, and black pepper if desired.

05 - Serve warm as a side dish or a base for main courses.

01 -

Ready in 15 minutes but tastes like you've been cooking all afternoon.
It's the perfect blank canvas for whatever's in your fridge or whatever mood you're in.
Somehow manages to be comforting and elegant at the same time.

02 -

Don't stir the couscous while it's resting; I made this mistake once and ended up with a gluey mess instead of fluffy grains.
The liquid-to-couscous ratio is everything; too much water and you get mushy, too little and it stays grainy and hard.
Couscous continues to soften slightly after plating, so serve it just when it reaches that perfect tender stage, not overdone.

03 -

Toast the couscous in the dry pan for one minute before adding liquid for a subtly nuttier flavor that feels more sophisticated.
Use the fork like you're gently combing through hair, not pressing or mashing, to get those separate, fluffy grains that make this dish so special.