This Roasted Summer Vegetable Couscous is a simple and delicious recipe perfect for the beach or a bbq. I make this on repeat and you will too.
I adore this recipe because it packs in so much savory flavor. Its hearty yet light and refreshing. The best part? You can make it ahead and it even tastes better the next day! And if you want a dish that you can take to the beach, a park, or bbq without sacrificing quality or flavor. I know you will love it.
This roasted summer vegetable couscous pairs well with any protein. Most recently, I had this alongside my Blackened Salmon Bites!
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Ingredients
The ingredients you see here are a baseline and my favorite combination of veggies with the couscous. See the variations section
- Israeli couscous – Also known as pearl couscous or “ptitim.” This is not to be confused with the other, smaller type of couscous
- Bell peppers – I like red, yellow, or orange.
- Eggplants – Roasted to perfection.
- Summer squash – Green, yellow, or white would work great.
- Onion – My preference is red onion.
- Tomatoes – The smallest you can find. I go with grape tomatoes.
- Lemon – Just a little, to add some acidity for balance
- Shallot – To flavor the couscous
- Spices – I use cumin, cinnamon, and bay leaves for a savory, mediterranean taste. If you don’t like these flavors, feel free to substitute!
- Broth – To cook the couscous. Way more flavorful than water.
- Olive oil – The heart of this dish.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Roasted Summer Vegetable Couscous
This recipe is pretty fool-proof. A good amount of chopping, but from there, it’s simple!
- Chop the vegetables into bite sized pieces. Try to get them somewhat equal in shape. I would say 1-2 inches in size. Do not chop the tomatoes.
- Roast the chopped vegetables on a large sheet pan, adding the tomatoes half way.
- While the veggies are cooking, sautéed the shallots until translucent. Add the cinnamon, cumin, and bay leaf, then the couscous and stock. Cook according to package instructions.
- The couscous and summer vegetables should be done cooking around the same time. Spritz the couscous with a bit of lemon juice and stir.
- Combine the couscous with the roasted summer vegetables. Option to add chives. Serve warm or cold. Option to add feta or goat cheese
What is Israeli couscous?
Israeli couscous, also known as pearl couscous or “ptitim,” is a toasted pasta shaped like a small pearl. It was created in Israel, hence the name, when pasta was scarce. It is more similar to pastina and orzo than it is to Moroccan couscous. Israeli couscous is made of semolina and water, like pasta, and is not made of a grain like rye or wheat.
If you don’t have Israeli couscous, I would suggest substituting this recipe with orzo or pastina. Moroccan couscous is less similar, and while the recipe will still taste good, it will not be very similar.
What vegetables can I use?
Feel free to make variations of this dish! I love the summer vegetables of squash, peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes. I also love the taste of roasted, almost charred red onions.
Whatever vegetables you use, make sure that at least most, or all, vegetables have high moisture. There isn’t really a sauce to this dish – the vegetables and their juices really bring the flavor. What do I mean by this? Carrots and cauliflower have low moisture, for example. They tend to soak up sauces. However, zucchini and tomatoes have high moisture and really help create sauces.
How to serve Roasted Summer Vegetable Couscous
This couscous salad tastes wonderful fresh or days later. I eat it hot, warm, or cold. Truly there is no wrong answer.
I like to serve my Roasted Summer Vegetable Couscous alongside a protein, such as turkey burgers, salmon, or chicken.
Can I add cheese?
Yes! Without adding cheese, this recipe is completely vegan. I like to add some crumbled feta or goat cheese to warmed couscous (warm it first, then add the cheese). The cheese gets a little bit melty but not completely. Very decadent!
The baseline recipe without cheese makes this a perfect salad to bring to the beach or a picnic. It will NOT go bad after being out for a few hours. There is no mayonnaise or creamy sauce – just fresh vegetables roasted in olive oil.
Storage
Store the roasted summer vegetable couscous in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The couscous salad tastes even better the next day!
More pasta salads:
Looking for other similar recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Roasted Summer Vegetable Couscous
Ingredients
Roasted Summer Vegetables
- 1 green squash
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 red onion
- ½ eggplant
- 1 pint grape tomatoes or the smallest you can find
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Couscous
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 2 cups Israeli or pearl couscous
- 1 pint stock or broth I use chicken. Use vegetable broth to keep vegan
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives optional
- ½ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450℉. Grease 2 large sheet trays, or use parchment paper. Set aside.
- Slice the zucchini in quarters, length-wise, then slice into 1-2 inch pieces.
- Chop the bell peppers, removing any seeds, into 1-2 inch pieces
- Slice the onion in half length-wise, from root to stem. Remove the root. Do not chop; rather, slice the onion into ½ inch pieces length-wise. I like to try to keep the onion slices in tact somewhat, so they are not just strings of onions but rather remain in layered slices.
- Chop the eggplant into ½ inch pieces. Feel free to keep or remove the skin as you prefer.
- Add the vegetables to the sheet pans, leaving about ⅓ of one pan empty to later add tomatoes. Drizzle ⅓ cup of olive oil over the vegetables, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Feel free to add ½ – 1 teaspoon of other seasonings to your liking. Put the sheet pans in the oven to roast
- After 15 minutes, removed the sheet pan with empty space and add the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and place back in the oven. Roast for another 15 minutes (30 total for the rest of the vegetables).
- Meanwhile, cook the couscous. To a pan or skillet on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the chopped shallot and cook until translucent. Add the cinnamon, cumin, and bay leaf. Stir, then add the couscous. Allow to toast for about 5 minutes, then add the stock. Boil, add the salt, then reduce to simmer and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the couscous has soaked up the stock.
- Add the cooked couscous to a bowl and squeeze the juice of ½ lemon over the couscous and stir. Add the vegetables in the couscous and mix thoroughly.
- Serve warm right away or cooled in the fridge. Option to add crumbed feta or goat cheese, and/or chopped chives.
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