Wholewheat couscous with chickpeas and vegetables
A vegan dish of wholewheat couscous sautéed with cooked chickpeas, onion, courgette and carrot, flavoured with soy sauce, garlic powder and a hint of sweetness from raisins. This balanced combination of pulses and grains provides complementary plant protein, filling fibre and energy for the day.
At a glance
- Cooking20 min
- Total20 min
- DifficultyEasy
Allergens
- Gluten
- Soya
Who this recipe is for
A vegan main course combining pulses and whole grains. It suits a vegetarian eating pattern or a weight-loss plan based on plant foods.
Ingredients
Step by step
- Finely dice the onion, courgette and carrot into even-sized pieces.
- Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the vegetables in stages: onion first, then courgette and finally carrot.
- Add a tablespoon of soy sauce and stir well to coat the vegetables.
- Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the previously drained and rinsed cooked chickpeas.
- Add a pinch of ground black pepper, garlic powder and a handful of raisins.
- Cook everything over medium heat for about 5 more minutes to combine the flavours.
- Add the previously cooked wholewheat couscous to the pan and mix well until all the ingredients are evenly combined.
Adaptations
How to change it depending on the day. Each change keeps the dish, it does not replace it.
For people with coeliac disease or avoiding gluten
Replace the couscous with millet, cooked quinoa or brown rice, and use certified gluten-free tamari instead of regular soy sauce.
If you prefer to reduce simple sugars
Leave out the raisins and add pumpkin seeds or flaked almonds for crunch without the sugar from raisins.
To vary the seasonal vegetables
Add aubergine, red pepper or green asparagus, depending on the season.
What it provides
Chickpeas and wholewheat couscous together provide complementary, high-quality plant protein. The dish is rich in soluble and insoluble fibre, while the vegetables provide B vitamins, carotenoids and minerals.
The dietitian's tip
Couscous absorbs boiling water or vegetable stock in just 5 minutes, making this dish a great option to take to work in a lunchbox. It keeps well for two or three days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Learn more in our sections on vegetarian diets and weight loss. Other filling plant-based recipes: quick lentils with vegetables and potato and aubergine omelette with microwave sweet potato.
What a recipe is not
This recipe fits into a plan; it does not replace one. It cures nothing and it is not calculated for one particular person: the quantities are indicative and will need adjusting to your case.
If you have a medical condition, take medication or follow a prescribed diet, check with your doctor or your dietitian before changing anything.
Where this recipe comes from
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