15-minute One-Pot Moroccan Couscous with Chickpeas and veggies is an easy vegan lunch or dinner recipe. It's quick, healthy, and packed with protein. Oil-free option.
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This is one of those recipes you will make over and over again, because It is practical, budget-friendly, and an ideal family dinner that kids enjoy too.
This dish was inspired by my High-Protein Quinoa & Lentils Without Oil, as well as this Easy Roasted Chickpeas Hummus Pasta on this site.
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👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- Moroccan couscous is a grain product, made from semolina (coarsely ground durum wheat). It comes steamed and dried. Therefore, it is quick-cooking. Simply reconstitute in boiling liquid before consuming. Choose whole wheat couscous for a healthier, fiber-rich option.
- Peppadew is the brand name for pickled grape-size Juanita red peppers. They come sold in jars, and are sweet in flavor with a mild spice level. Substitute with golden raisins as desired.
- Lemon zest adds a citrusy tang that complements the sweetness of the Peppadew piquanté peppers delectably.
See recipe card for quantities.
📖 Instructions
Cook the aromatics, vegetables, and spices in olive oil or vegetable broth.
Then, add the chickpeas and mix. Pour in the veggie broth and heat until warmed through.
Mix the dried couscous into the heated broth. Flatten with a spatula or the back of a spoon to make sure all the couscous is submerged in the broth.
Set aside for 5 minutes to reconstitute the couscous. Add lemon zest, and juice. Serve with vegan sour cream and avocado as desired.
🌶 Substitutions
- Peppadew piquanté peppers - use golden raisins instead for a hint of sweetness to balance the spices
- Red onion - yellow onion also works in the recipe
- Parsley - Replace with chopped cilantro as desired. Add some fresh mint for more flavor.
Try this amazing Chickpea and Lentil Curry for another fragrant and high-protein dinner with chickpeas. Visit my Veggie Bowls recipe page for more quick and healthy vegan dinner ideas.
🔪 Equipment
Grate the lemon zest onto the couscous using a microplane zester or small grater. Try not to get the white part (pith) of the lemon as this tends to be bitter.
⏱ Storage
Refrigerate any remaining Easy One-Pot Moroccan Couscous with Chickpeas in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Serve cold or reheat for serving.
Freeze in a freezer proof container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
💡 Top tip
Remove the skillet from the heat before adding the dried couscous. It reconstitutes in the hot broth and does not require further cooking. Make sure to mix and flatten the grains so that they are submerged in the broth.
Couscous is a man-made grain product, typically made from coarsely ground semolina. It is thought of as both a grain and pasta, yet it is neither at the same time! Moroccan couscous is the semolina grain product sold as 'couscous.' It is sold steamed and dried, and only needs to be reconstituted in boiled water for about 5 minutes before consumption. Pearl couscous is technically a larger version of Moroccan couscous, about the size of a pea. It requires cooking in simmering water for about 5 minutes. Israeli couscous is not actually couscous, but rather extruded pasta.
For cooking Moroccan (golden) couscous on its own, use 1 ¼ cups water to 1 cup couscous. Bring the water or broth, and salt (optional) to a boil. Add the couscous. Stir, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Chickpeas are great for adding plant-based protein to vegan recipes. One cup cooked chickpeas contains over 14 grams of protein, and 12 grams of fiber. This is more protein than one chicken drumstick.
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One-Pot Moroccan Couscous with Chickpeas Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable broth
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 1 large bell pepper diced
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 15 ounces chickpeas canned, drained and rinsed (1 ½ cups)
- 5 Peppadew piquanté peppers jarred, chopped (or ¼ cup golden raisins)
- 1 cup Moroccan couscous
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup chopped parsley plus more for garnish
- 1 small lemon zest and juice, or to taste
For serving (optional):
- 2 small avocados chopped
- Vegan sour cream
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Instructions
- Cook veggies: Heat the oil in a medium-large skillet over medium heat. Add the red onion, pepper, and carrot and cook for about 5 minutes, or until just tender. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Add spices: Add the paprika, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute more. Add the Peppadew peppers, and chickpeas and cook for 1 minute, stirring to combine.
- Reconstitute couscous: Add the broth and cook for about 1 minute more, or until just simmering. Remove from the heat. Add the couscous, and parsley and mix until the couscous is fully incorporated. Flatten the top with a spoon so the couscous is submerged. Let stand for about 5 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.
- Season: Grate lemon zest onto the couscous using a microplane zester. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Fluff with a fork and serve.
- Optional for serving: Serve with vegan sour cream, and avocado as desired.
Notes
- Use vegetable broth instead of olive oil for oil-free.
- Choose whole wheat couscous for a healthier meal.
- Peppadew is the brand name for pickled grape-size red peppers known as Juanita, sold in jars. These piquanté peppers are sweet in flavor with a mild spice level. Substitute with golden raisins as desired.
- Remove the skillet from the heat before adding the couscous. The dried couscous reconstitutes in the warmed broth and does not require further cooking. Make sure to mix and flatten the couscous so that it is submerged in the hot broth.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate. Nutritional values may vary depending on factors such as product types and brands used.
Stacey Dorush says
Hi Nisha!
Would quinoa work as a substitute for the couscous? Your recipe sounds wonderful, I can't wait to try it!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. Yes. Replace couscous with 1.5 cups cooked quinoa (not dry). Cook quinoa separately (½ cup dry yields 1.5 cups cooked). Follow recipe through veggies + spices + chickpeas. Skip adding broth for absorption. Stir in cooked quinoa at the end. Warm through, then add parsley + lemon. Add a splash of broth (2–3 tbsp) if it feels dry
Lori Woodward says
Five start because it looks delicious! (I haven't made it... yet). I need to be very careful with wheat products, and couscous is unfortunately on my no-no list. But this looks like it would work beautifully with cauliflower rice! What suggestions do you have to morph this into a cauliflower-based couscous?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. Follow the recipe through cooking veggies + spices + chickpeas. Add about 3 cups cauliflower rice instead of couscous. Add 2–4 tbsp broth (just enough to soften). Cook 5–7 minutes, stirring, until tender but not mushy, adding more broth as needed. Finish with parsley + lemon as written.
Pia says
Easy and so delicious!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad! Thank you.
Radhika says
This has been a crowd pleaser. I enjoy that it's easy to make, and being able to serve something healthy and tasty makes everyone happy!!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So happy to hear it's a crowd pleaser! Thank you.
Gia says
Is the serving size 1 cup?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
It is one-fourth of what the recipe makes.
Claire says
May 19, 2025
I am having a wonderful time trying to go more vegan and this recipe is such a hit! I had everything on hand and it was super easy to put it all together. The flavours are delicious with the cayenne just tickling the tongue with heat!!!
Thank you so much for this freezer friendly recipe!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you enjoyed the flavors! I love a recipe I can freeze! Thank you.
Manu says
Love it!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad! Thank you so much.
Ezra says
really great, really simple! I used table crema instead of sour cream. thank you!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So happy to hear! Thank you for letting me know.
Anna says
This is delicious, one of my favourites. I've substituted the sultanas, when I've run out of them, with tablespoon of maple syrup.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So happy to hear you are enjoying it. Thank you so much for leaving a comment.
Dhanisha Niyaz says
I added ghee to recipe and it was amazing! Gives a different whole new flavour! Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe ❤️
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you enjoyed it. Thank you.
VampireHobbit says
This recipe saved me after I forgot to take something out for supper! I didn't follow it exactly because I was missing some ingredients but it still turned out quite nicely, I will definitely try it again with the correct ingredients because the kids enjoyed it too
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So happy it was helpful! Thank you. It's so quick and easy!
Yve says
It was incredibly delicious. I didn't have any peppadew and I added crumbled feta cheese at the end. It was still amazing! Thank you for the recipe.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for leaving a comment.
Keziah says
Super good and really easy to make! I would suggest prepping your spices before hand as you move pretty fast through adding all of them.
I subbed the peppadew peppers with dried apricots and it tasted great!
Nisha Melvani says
Love the addition of apricots! Thank you
Alexis says
Can I use pearl couscous in the same way in this recipe?
Nisha Melvani says
No. Pearl couscous needs to simmer to get to its correct tender yet chewy texture, so it would not work with the amount of liquid and cooking time in this recipe.
Mirjam says
Loved this recipe. Very easy and quick to make. I did make some changes but think this recipe is great as printed.
I doubled the cinnamon, just because I love cinnamon.
I added a zucchini just because I needed to use it up
I also added some preserved Moroccan lemon, on the side since my partner does not like it. It adds a fun and interesting flavor.
Next time, no doubt there will be a next time soon, I might also add some tart apple pieces. I love mixing fruit with veggies.
Nisha Melvani says
Glad you enjoyed it. Great additions!
Christine L. says
So easy and super flavorful! I subbed quinoa for the couscous and raisins for the peppers because that’s what I had on hand. This will definitely become part of our rotation! Yum!!!
Nisha Melvani says
I'm thrilled you enjoyed it. Thank you for leaving a comment.
Amina says
Easy and quick. Wonderful mix of flavours!
Nisha Melvani says
That's what I was going for! Thank you.
Primla Goddard says
Great one-pot meal that is not only delicious but very practical when it comes to doing a budget meal.
Nisha Melvani says
I hope you enjoy it! Thank you.
Neena Chandiramani says
Delicious, quick and easy!
Nisha Melvani says
Exactly! Enjoy:)