Healthy Couscous Recipes

Get the flavors of spicy Buffalo chicken wings, without frying, in this nutritious couscous bowl loaded with protein and crisp veggies.

Cooked couscous and canned chickpeas come together in this quick lunch salad. The basil vinaigrette makes it taste anything but basic! When in season, we recommend adding fresh chopped tomatoes for a spin on tabbouleh.

Feel free to double this recipe to suit your needs. To add more flavor, swap reduced-sodium broth in for the water.

Sun-dried tomato pesto and lemon do double duty to season both the salmon and the couscous in this healthy one-pan dinner recipe. Serve the salmon with extra lemon wedges and a dollop of plain yogurt, if desired.

One-pot meals, like this all-in-one chicken thigh, kale and Israeli couscous recipe, are perfect for nights when you want to keep cleanup to a minimum. Look for Israeli couscous--small pearl-shaped pasta made from semolina flour--near other Middle Eastern dry goods in well-stocked supermarkets or specialty-foods stores.

This quick dinner recipe of couscous, white beans and shrimp is flavored with a potent parsley-and-basil dressing.

Feta, spinach and dill flavor these tofu patties. Slice some lemon wedges and pick up some whole-wheat pita bread to serve with this Greek-inspired meal.

By all means use fresh peas if you have them. And remember, the smaller they are, the less cooking time they'll need. (Frozen peas work fine if that's all you have.) To make this a little more substantial, you can--if you like--add a cupful of drained and rinsed canned chickpeas. Don't skimp on the herbs; the dish really shines with them.

This quick take on rice pudding is flavored with honey and orange zest. Dates had a rich, sweet flavor.

Whole-wheat couscous is as fast and easy to prepare as regular couscous. Here, it makes a delightful simple side dish or stuffing for baked winter squash halves.

Packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals, whole-wheat couscous is ready to eat in minutes. Make it a meal: Fill pita bread with this salad for a tasty sandwich.

Simple couscous gets an upgrade with sautéed mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. Make it a meal: Simple Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Wilted Spinach with Garlic make nice accompaniments.

Pilaf is usually made with rice plus nuts, fruit, vegetables or even meat. In this version we use couscous instead of rice, so it's nearly instant, and add a sweet accent of orange and currants.

Couscous, which is actually a type of tiny pasta, makes an almost-instant side dish. Happily, the whole-wheat variety is just as fast to prepare as regular couscous. Lemon zest is a delicious accent to nutty Parmesan in this Italian-inspired couscous.

Za'atar (or zaatar)--a Middle-Eastern spice blend that's a mix of thyme, sumac, salt, sesame seeds and sometimes other herbs--gives this sheet-pan roast chicken recipe tons of flavor. Chicken tenders and pretrimmed green beans make this healthy dinner super-fast.

Reminiscent of paella, this one-pan shrimp couscous recipe is flavored with smoky paprika, fennel and garlic. This healthy meal is easy enough for a weeknight but impressive enough for a dinner party. Diced chicken, scallops or pork could be substituted for the shrimp.

Made all in one saucepan, this curried zucchini and couscous recipe is a quick side dish, perfect to serve with grilled meats. For a little sweetness, throw in a handful of raisins with the carrots.

You need only one skillet for this meal of wild salmon fillets and Israeli couscous pilaf. For added fiber, look for Israeli couscous made with whole-wheat flour. Serve with roasted carrots and broccoli with cumin.

In this riff on North African tradition, couscous is served as the base for a beef and rutabaga stew that's made with an intoxicating blend of cinnamon, turmeric, coriander and cayenne (optional if you don't like it spicy). Garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro and serve with sliced cucumber.

This soup recipe for two is inspired by the flavors and ingredients of paella, but unlike paella it's simple enough for a speedy weeknight dinner. If you can't find Spanish chorizo, use pepperoni (add a pinch of smoked paprika if you have it). Serve with warm whole-grain garlic bread.