This is the most ridiculously easy, fast mid week meal that is super tasty, wonderfully light, and on the table in 10 minutes. Couscous is my mid-week meal secret. It’s so versatile, and just requires hot water to make it.
Topping possibilities are endless, I’ve made it here with diced tomato and avocado, but you can load it up with sour cream, cheese and even crispy tortilla chips. It would go fabulously with some Pork Carnitas tossed through it. This is definitely a midweek staple recipe you should keep!
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Mexican Couscous Express
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Meal
Mexican
Servings4
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The most ridiculously easy and fast mid week meal that's darn tasty and wonderfully light. Feel free to ramp up the toppings - I just added some diced avocado and tomato to keep it fresh, but I also have it with a dollop of source cream and grated cheese. And I have also been known to add crispy tortilla chips too….
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 tbsp diced jalapeño (fresh is better, but tinned also ok)
- 2 scallions (shallots), roughly sliced (optional)
- 1 can (15 oz / 400 g) black beans or red kidney beans
- 1 can (15 oz / 400 g) corn kernels
- Handful of coriander / cilantro
Optional
- 1 tomato , deseeded and diced
- 1/2 avocado , diced
- Sour cream
- Grated cheese
Instructions
- Place salt, cumin, onion powder and couscous in a bowl, quickly toss to combine.
- Add boiling water, cover and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Fluff with fork, add tomato paste and stir to evenly coat the couscous.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- Serve with optional toppings.
Recipe Notes:
1. You can substitute the scallions for red onion or spring onion, or leave it out if you prefer.
Hi Nagi
I served this with fish last night and the colours and flavours were divine. The couscous itself was a bit dry though. What can I add to make it less dry please? Thanks for another fabulous recipe,
Maybe a little more water… or you could wash your cous cous first, leave it sit wet for 15 mins. It will absorb some extra moisture during this time.
Really good! I will admit that I did a little bit of tweaking (didn’t have the jalapeños, don’t like cumin, not enough beans or corn, way less salt…..) but I’m so excited with how well it turned out! We topped it with tomato, avocado, and a little lime juice. (: I’d have eaten a lot more couscous by now if hadn’t taken me so long to find such a good recipe.
I’m so glad you loved it Mickey!
Great recipe for our young family. I made the couscous without the optional toppings, kept those separate so the kids could create their own dishes at the table, as per your suggestion I also made the Carnitas as well to be used as a topping – kids whoofed down their creations (avocado, tomatoe, cucumber, grated cheese and pork). Great easy, mid-week dinner for a busy mum!
Gosh glad you liked this oldie!!! 🙂 It’s been years since I made this! M x
This looks great Nagi! I haven’t used cous cous in a Mexican dish before so would love to give it a go.
It’s a bit unique, total cheat dish!! 🙂
Cous Cous is an amazing versatile food which can compliment all different foods from savoury to sweet the dish here in this article is full of different tantalizing ingredients ,when i visited morocco i enjoyed some amazing dining experiences tajine a clay dish where you cook amazing vegetable and meat dishes that accompanied various exciting dishes.
Steven! I’ve never seen couscous in a sweet dish, how interesting! You have me curious now – I’m off to look it up! 🙂