Pearl Couscous Recipe with Vegetables and Apricots

Smoky spices with a touch of sweetness and healthy veggies make this pearl couscous recipe with vegetables and apricots a versatile side dish and delicious comfort food.

This vegetarian side dish with middle eastern flavors is quick to make and it’s great paired with turkey (instead of stuffing), roast chicken, flank steak or a mild fish.

finished pearl couscous and vegetables in bowl

What is pearl couscous?

Pearl couscous (which looks like small pearls) is often thought to be a whole grain, but is actually a pasta made of small balls of semolina flour. It is also referred to as Israeli couscous, called Ptitim In Israel, where is was developed in the 1950’s when rice was scarce due to austerity in Israel.

Israeli pearl couscous is not the same thing as regular couscous or Moroccan couscous. It is relatively new, has much larger grains and chewier.

Simply put, it’s a type of pasta. It absorbs flavors beautifully if cooked with the method in this recipe and is typically sold in grocery stores as toasted Israeli couscous or pearl couscous. The toasting adds a nice nutty flavor. 

What’s in the recipe

You can boil Israeli couscous like regular pasta and use it in salads. This recipe, instead, blends several spices – smoked paprika, garlic, cloves and cumin – that infuse the couscous while cooking. 

Combined with roasted vegetables and apricots, bright fresh chopped spinach and the richness of some butter (or olive oil if you prefer), the result is a deep, flavorful and very tasty side dish with lots of extra nutrients.

The dried apricots add great texture and a subtle sweetness. I tried roasting them with the vegetables and boiling them with the couscous. Both ways work fine. The only thing to add here is to be careful they don’t burn if you choose roasting (although I like a bit of char on mine).

Play around with the variations and shortcuts to suit your time, needs and tastes. 

Tailor to your Taste

Here are some variations and substitutions you can try to make it your own.

  • Couscous:
    • For this dish, don’t use traditional couscous – only pearl or Israeli
    • You can, however, substitute with orzo acini de pepe pasta if you can’t find pearl couscous
  • Vegetables:
    • Roast other vegetables such as diced mushrooms, zucchini or red peppers instead of butternut squash.
  • Spicesand seasoning
    • Play around with spices you like. For example, try coriander, curry powder, nutmeg, regular paprika, thyme, etc.
    • And add some heat with sriracha or red chili flakes if you like.
    • Lemon zest or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice will add some bright flavors as will lots of fresh herbs.
  • Add-ins
    • Sprinkle the finished dish with toasted almonds, pine nuts or other nuts for crunch.
    • Substitute dried cranberries or golden raisins for the dried apricots. These can be added while the couscous is cooking (not roasted).
    • Garnish with fresh chopped cherry tomatoes and crisp cucumber. Or serve them on the side.

Steps to make this pearl couscous recipe

pearl couscous, spiralized butternut squash, spinach, apricots, butter, seasonings, onion, chicken broth, olive oil
Ingredients: pearl couscous, spiralized butternut squash, fresh baby spinach, dried apricots, butter, seasonings, chicken broth, onion, olive oil
spiralized squash and onions on pan
 Toss butternut squash and onions with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay out in single layer on foil-lined pan.
roasted squash and onions on pan
Roast onions and squash at high heat in the oven for about 15 minutes.
couscous and apricots in pot
Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add seasonings, then broth, apricots and a cup of couscous. Cover and cook for 9-10 minutes until broth is almost fully absorbed.
spinach added to cooked couscous in pot
Add roasted veggies and fresh spinach and stir until wilted for a minute.
spoon of finished pearl couscous and veggies
Adjust seasonings and serve.

What to serve with pearl couscous

Serve the couscous for dinner tonight as a main course if you like along with a salad and perhaps a ratatouille soup or vegetarian split pea soup. In this case, the recipe will serve two.

As a simple side dish, it pairs well with sous vide turkey breast, marinated flank steak, maple balsamic trout, rack of lamb on the grill, juicy grilled pork chops and balsamic glazed chicken. The couscous is a great way to add savory flavor to a meal.

Shortcut

  • Skip roasting the vegetables and just sauté onions and another veggie e.g. mushrooms in the pot. 

Make ahead 

  • The couscous can easily be made a couple of hours ahead of serving. To reheat, just add a bit more broth or water and reheat covered in the microwave for about a minute.  Toss then serve.
  • Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for a day or two in an airtight container. Reheat the next day in the microwave.
pearl couscous in bowl 2

Other pasta side dishes you might like

If you like this recipe, please leave a 5 star rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟in the recipe card below. And if you REALLY like it, consider a review in the comments. Thanks very much!

finished pearl couscous and vegetables in bowl
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4.81 from 26 votes

Pearl Couscous Recipe with Vegetables and Apricots

Smoky spices with a touch of sweetness and healthy veggies make this pearl couscous recipe with vegetables and apricots a versatile side dish and delicious comfort food.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Side Dish, vegetarian
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Roast vegetables, Note 1

  • 1 cup diced onions, 1/4 inch (red onion or white)
  • 2 cups spiralized/diced butternut squash (or mushrooms or bell pepper or combo)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and black pepper

Couscous

  • 2 tablespoon butter (or oil)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon minced or grated garlic (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
  • pinch ground cloves
  • pinch cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon sriracha (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup toasted Israeli couscous
  • 10-15 dried apricots, roughly chopped
  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450F/232C.
  • ROAST VEGETABLES: Place onions, butternut squash (or mushrooms/red peppers) on a pan lined with foil and sprayed with oil. Drizzle on olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Roast for about 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft and starting to caramelize to a golden brown.
  • MAKE COUSCOUS: While veggies are roasting, place butter in medium saucepan on medium-high heat. When butter melts, add smoked paprika, garlic, cloves, cumin, sriracha. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add couscous and apricots. Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer and cook covered for about 9-10 minutes or until couscous is soft (but still a bit chewy) and most of broth is absorbed (the remaining broth will absorb as it sits). If broth absorbs before couscous is cooked, add a bit more broth or water and continue cooking for another minute or two.
  • ASSEMBLE: Add roasted vegetables and chopped spinach to couscous. Stir well until spinach wilts, about 30 seconds. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve immediately or set aside and then warm in microwave for a minute before serving.

Recipe Notes

  1. Variations and Substitutions
    • Couscous:
      • For this dish, don’t use traditional couscous – only pearl or Israeli
      • You can, however, substitute with orzo or acini de pepe pasta if you can’t find pearl couscous
    • Vegetables:
      • Roast other vegetables such as diced mushrooms, zucchini or red peppers instead of butternut squash.
    • Spices and seasoning
      • Play around with spices you like. For example, try coriander, curry powder, nutmeg, regular paprika, thyme, etc.
      • And add some heat with sriracha or red chili flakes if you like.
      • Lemon zest or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice will add some bright flavors as will lots of fresh herbs.
    • Add-ins
      • Sprinkle the finished dish with toasted almonds, pine nuts or other nuts for crunch.
      • Substitute dried cranberries or golden raisins for the dried apricots. These can be added while the couscous is cooking (not roasted)
  2. Make Ahead:
    • The couscous can easily be made a couple of hours ahead of serving. 
    • To reheat, just add a bit more broth or water and reheat covered in the microwave for about a minute.  Toss then serve.
 
Nutrition values are estimates.

Nutrition

Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 544mg | Potassium: 832mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 10259IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?We’d love you to rate it above under ‘rate this recipe’ or in the comment section below. Thanks!

This pearl couscous recipe, originally published as Israeli couscous in 2017, has been updated with edited information and pictures.

4.81 from 26 votes (22 ratings without comment)

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18 Comments

  1. I would like to try this recipe but wanted to clarify…it calls for “toasted” couscous? I am not just pouring it out of the package? I have to toast it first? And if so, how do I do that?

    Thank you,
    Andee

  2. 5 stars
    This recipe is unreal! The flavor is incredible and perfectly balanced. I roasted mushrooms and bell peppers since butternut squash is out of season and I can’t wait to try this again once the squash is in season. Adding this into the weekly rotation!

  3. 5 stars
    Was looking for a dish to go with fish for dinner and found this one. Easy to prepare as I had all the ingredients. Delicious! Highly recommend.

  4. The recipe reads a bit confusing in terms of the when/how to add the apricots. You have it listed 3 different times:
    Could you please clarify? Thanks!

    1. Hi Michelle, So sorry for the confusion. I have updated the recipe now to make it clearer. The apricots should be added when cooking the couscous (not during roasting the squash and onions). Hope that helps.

    1. Good question Jocelyn. Pearl couscous freezes well for a few months, but I haven’t tried freezing it with the cooked vegetables. I think the spinach may become slimy and the butternut squash a bit too soft or mushy, so I wouldn’t suggest freezing it. Probably not what you wanted to hear! You can try it of course (I’d love to hear how it worked), but with a holiday dinner, I probably wouldn’t risk it.

    1. Hi Stephanie. If you look at step 3 in the recipe, you will see it there “MAKE COUSCOUS: While veggies are roasting, place butter in medium saucepan on medium-high heat. When butter melts, add smoked paprika, garlic, cloves, cumin, sriracha. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add couscous and apricots“. Hope that clarifies it.

      1. 5 stars
        Thank you so much for the clarification, Cheryl!
        I did make this and although it came out a bit sweet my husband and I still enjoyed it.(I’ll cut back on the apricots next time😉
        We used grilled summer veggies, cuz it’s summer! What I really like about this recipe is that it’s very versatile and forgiving. You could really change any of the herbs and spices to make it fit your palate.

      2. Hi I’m making this as my side … do we roast the apricots first with other veggies or put them
        In the couscous unroasted??? Hope you see this!!

        1. Hi Barbara. I add the apricots to the couscous unroasted as per step 3. A bit of roasting may be nice, but I think they might burn at such a high heat.