Looking for a really spicy vegan flavorful dinner? This spicy vegan chickpea Moroccan couscous recipe is for you! Loaded with flavor, protein, hearty grain, bright herbs, and a perfect tahini sauce.
This couscous make a perfect salad, a whole hearty dinner and a perfect vegan meal! We’re cheating and using canned chickpeas to get this whole meal done in 20 mins! So it’s probably the best meatless busy night go-to meal!
I LOVE meals like this spicy Moroccan couscous. It’s a bright, fresh, vibrant and deeply spiced meal that feels light as air, yet filling and fuelling.
And as a bonus, it’s absolutely quick, straight forward and totally adaptable. So feel free to play around with the type of protein, grain, herbs and dressing every time. This particular combo is very special to me though.
Why This Couscous Recipe
My beloved grandma who I mention a lot on the blog is a foodie who takes flavor very seriously.She may not be the most creative in the kitchen but she has a few “signature dishes” that no one else can make like her.
During her final years, she had an aversion to meats, chicken, fish, everything. She basically ate a vegan diet with the exception of lamb. And this couscous recipe was one of her favorites!
The couscous is flavored with plenty of herbs and zest from the sumac spice. I mention that magic lemony floral spice a lot in this Labneh Dip with Zaatar Pistachio Mint Olive Topping recipe.
Also, you have those incredible spicy vegan chickpeas. I can probably snack on these all day, and I can assure you would too! They’re super flavorful.
Then you’ve got my favorite condiment ever, this Perfect Tahini Sauce which is a secret ingredient to boost all Mediterranean recipes! Check out the recipe and post and see how it pairs beautifully with many recipes on my blog 🙂
Finally, you’ve got the Moroccan Carrot and Mint Salad. As simple and silly as it sounds combining plenty of fresh mint, shredded carrots and raisins into a salad, as incredibly delicious as it is! It’s actualy delicious beyond words.
I would certainly ask you never skimp on making this carrot salad. Never!
Imagine all of these delicious bits of things combined in one plate, along with some fresh kale–because I’m obsessed with kale. Also check this Kale Salad with Spicy Lentils recipe for more about kale!
What is Couscous
While couscous looks like a tiny grain of it’s own, it’s actually not. Couscous is a type of pasta made with semolina flour and cut up into tiny grain pieces.
Most of the couscous you’ll find in grocery stores today has been pre-cooked so all you have to do is simply soak it in boiling water (or stock) to bloom.
Almost 10-15 mins later, all the boiling water gets absorbed and couscous is perfectly tender. A bunch of chopped herbs (cilantro, parsley and mint) and a lemony sumac spice…and it’s done!
It tastes very much like tiny bits of pasta, so it’s got to be flavored even with something as simple as minced herbs and sumac like I did today.
If you’re looking for a gluten free option, you can replace it with quinoa, buckwheat or millet. Other substitutes for couscous are barely or bulgur since they have a more hearty texture.
How to Make this Vegan Couscous Salad
First of all, we’ll start with the chickpeas. Chickpeas here act as the “protein” factor, so we’ll cook them just the same way we would be cooking some spicy chicken. A sauté of onions and garlic first, then chickpeas go in with plenty of spice, and then fresh cilantro, parsley and mint finish off the chickpeas.
Now the couscous, you’ll cook it by adding boiling water over it and covering it for 15 mins at most. Then add in the herbs, salt and sumac spice. And it’s done!
The Moroccan carrot salad, which I can’t stop talking about I know! It deserves a post on its own and fits the saying:—when life gives you carrots, make Moroccan carrot salad!
Mix the shredded carrots, mint and raisins and finish it off with the tahini. Super quick, light, easy, SO delicious and crunchy. All dressed up with Perfect Tahini Sauce , slightly sweet from the carots and raisins, super bright from the fresh mint—SERIOUS goodness. And seriously you wouldn’t believe how this salad adds life to the humble carrots!
So this perfect 15 mins all in one spicy vegan chickpea Moroccan couscous is ready to go—except for the dressing: this perfect tahini sauce. I strongly urge you not to skip or swap this sauce for anything else! It’s ultra creamy (healthy creamy!), ultra bright and tangy from the lemon juice, ultra smokey and spicy from the cumin and just overall a kick of life into this whole meal!
So go ahead and try a meatless, perfectly vegan, full meal that will make a new dinner table favorite! Enjoy 🙂
Tips For this Couscous Recipe:
You can prepare the spicy chickpeas and couscous ahead of time (3 days), just reheat them before serving.
Feel free to skip/adjust the type and amount of spices used in the chickpeas to suit your taste.
To infuse extra flavor in to the couscous, try adding some vegetable stock in place of the water.
If you can’t find sumac spice, just add a squirt of lemon/lime juice and for a zestier couscous, add lemon zest.
If you’re not a kale person, use spinach, arugula or any type of greens.
For a gluten free meal, use millet, buckwheat or quinoa and read this How To Cook Quinoa post for extra tips!
Enjoy! 🙂
Spicy Vegan Chickpea Moroccan Couscous
Looking for a really spicy vegan flavorful dinner? This spicy vegan chickpea Moroccan couscous recipe is for you! Loaded with flavor, protein, hearty grain, bright herbs, and a perfect tahini sauce.
Ingredients
- For the Chickpeas:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red onion , thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups chickpeas canned and drained
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
- 1/4 cup vegetable stock (or water)
- 1/2 cup herbs chopped fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley,mint)
- For the Couscous:
- 1 cup couscous whole wheat
- 2 cups water boiling hot (or stock)
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
- 1/2 cup herbs fresh and chopped (cilantro,parsley, mint)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sumac spice (optional)
- For the carrot salad:
- 2 cups carrots shredded
- 1/4 cup mint leaves fresh, chopped
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup tahini sauce
- To dress up:
- Perfect Tahini Sauce
- Fresh Kale for serving (optional)
Instructions
- For the chickpeas: Preheat a cast iron or skillet over medium high heat with olive oil, Saute the onions and garlic for 2 minutes until softened and slightly golden, then add in the chickpeas and spice. Sauté the chickpeas until the spice is toasted and fragrant and then add the water (or stock). Bring it to a boil and turn off the heat. Add int he fresh herbs.
- For the Couscous: In a large bowl (or pot), add the couscous and boiling water. Cover it tightly for 10-15 mins until all the liquid gets absorbed. Then uncover the couscous, add the fresh herbs, olive oil and sumac.
- For the carrot salad: mix the carrots, mint and raisins. Drizzle the tahini sauce on top.
- Serve the bowl (or bowls) with couscous on one side, chickpeas on the other and the dressing over the top.
Recipe Notes
You can prepare the spicy chickpeas and couscous ahead of time (3 days), just reheat them before serving.
Feel free to skip/adjust the type and amount of spices used in the chickpeas to suit your taste.
To infuse extra flavor in to the couscous, try adding some vegetable stock in place of the water.
If you can't find sumac spice, just add a squirt of lemon/lime juice and for a zestier couscous, add lemon zest.
If you're not a kale person, use spinach, arugula or any type of greens.
For a gluten free meal, use millet, buckwheat or quinoa and read this How To Cook Quinoa post for extra tips!
This recipe looks so great! I’ve never experimented with sumac before so I’m excited to give it a go!! I love that you can meal prep this one as well:)
Sumac is amazing you need to look for it!
Thanks Sam, you will enjoy this!
Thanks Anne, millet is a perfect alternative! Hope you make it and enjoy 🙂
Danya, it’s perfect with quinoa too! Thanks! You will enjoy 🙂
Thanks so much Jacqueline! You’re very kind:) Enjoy 🙂
That is a skillet full of goodness!
Thanks Dorothy, it is really!! 🙂