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AI-generated photograph: Fluffy golden couscous heaped in a wide speckled stoneware bowl, flecked with green parsley and mint, ruby pomegranate seeds scattered over and a curl of lemon zest on top

Home · Recipes · Herby lemon couscous with pomegranate

Mediterranean and Middle Eastern · Sides

Herby lemon couscous with pomegranate

steamed couscous · lemon and mint · pomegranate

AI-generated photograph

Light, fluffy couscous steamed in hot stock, then tossed with lemon, olive oil, a big handful of parsley and mint, spring onions and jewel-bright pomegranate seeds.

Contains: cereals containing gluten, as written. Of the 14 allergens, only gluten is in this recipe, from the couscous (made from wheat). Stock cubes and stock pots can contain celery, so check the packet.

Ingredients

  • 250g couscous
  • Half a teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 lemon, zest finely grated and juice squeezed
  • 300ml hot vegetable stock, made with a stock cube or stock pot
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 20g fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 15g fresh mint, leaves chopped
  • 80g pomegranate seeds (optional)
  • Salt
  • Black pepper

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Let's cook

  1. Put the couscous in a large heatproof bowl. Stir in the cumin and the lemon zest.
  2. Pour over the hot stock, stir once and cover the bowl tightly with a plate or cling film. Leave it for 5 minutes. The couscous soaks up the stock and cooks in its own steam.
  3. Uncover and fluff the grains with a fork, scraping and lifting so there are no clumps.
  4. Drizzle in the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and fluff again.
  5. Fold in the spring onions, parsley and mint. Taste, then add salt, pepper and more lemon juice until it tastes bright.
  6. Spoon onto a platter and scatter the pomegranate seeds over the top, if using.

Tips

  • Use a fork, not a spoon: a spoon squashes the grains and makes them sticky.
  • Add the herbs just before serving so they stay green.
  • It is lovely warm or at room temperature, so it is easy to make first while the main cooks.

Swaps

  • Gluten free: use quinoa (simmer it in the stock for 15 minutes) instead of couscous.
  • More filling: stir in a drained 400g tin of chickpeas.
  • No pomegranate: use a handful of chopped dried apricots, but note these often contain sulphites.

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