I’m starting to get on the “bowl” bandwagon! I’ve made a few here and there in the past (my 100 Days of Real Food: On a Budget cookbook has both “Burrito Bowls” and “Deconstructed Spring Roll Bowls” in the school lunch section), but lately, as I’ve been trying to think of new tasty, HEARTY, vegetarian dinner ideas, I just keep coming back to this concept. Also, you can, of course, easily add in some meat if you want! There are just dozens and dozens of options when it comes to putting dinner bowls together, including this couscous bowl, which is the fun part about it (in my opinion).
Reasons I’ve decided that I like dinner bowls:
- Great for busy families (like us!) who often have activities right smack-dab in the middle of dinner (happens three nights a week at our house this school year). This is a super easy meal to cover and save for those who get home late or need to eat early.
- Works very well as leftovers whether you’re eating at home or need to pack up some lunch to-go (that you can eat cold or reheat—tasty either way).
- Very easy to make these into hearty meatless meals, although it’s super easy to add meat as well if you want!
- There are loads of options between the base (couscous for this recipe), toppings, and sauce. If your people don’t love the first combo you try, simply try again with some different flavors!
- Lastly, if you keep the veggies separate while roasting, then everyone can pick and choose what they want. I don’t mind if my kids skip over half of what’s on these baking sheets because they will end up with at least some produce on their plate—I mean in their bowls, haha. It also means I was able to include olives, which my husband and I love—but both our children despise.
Here are the veggies ready to go in the oven!
What’s your favorite “bowl” that you’ve tried? My husband and I loved this couscous and vegetable combo below, so I definitely see more of these in our future!
Greek Roasted Veggie Couscous Bowls
We're cooking up the rainbow with this hearty, veggie-packed, meatless dinner bowl.
Ingredients
For the bowls
- 1 1/2 cups dry whole-wheat couscous, cooked according to package directions
- 1 pound broccoli, trimmed and cut into 1/2" florets
- 1 red bell pepper, trimmed, seeded, and cut into a large dice
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into a large dice
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 red onion, peeled and diced
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 8 ounces kalamata olives, (optional), drained
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, could sub more of the red wine vinegar from the sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- feta cheese, (optional), for topping
For the sauce
- 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
- 1/2 cucumber, peel on, shredded with a cheese grater, squeezed to discard excess liquid
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Instructions
For the bowls
-
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (I used the convection setting since I was cooking on two baking sheets at the same time). Divide the cooked couscous among four bowls and set aside.
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Arrange the chopped veggies, onion, chickpeas, and olives onto two baking sheets in one even layer.
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Combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a jar or other small container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake to emulsify, then pour over and toss with the veggies.
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Bake until the veggies are brown and tender when pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes, swapping the location of the pans in the oven halfway through (if you'd like). What I've learned is if they're still wet from being washed they could take a little longer to cook. If they're completely dry, it could go more quickly so keep an eye on them toward the end!
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Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl.
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Evenly distribute the veggies on top of the couscous, top with feta cheese (if using) and sauce, and serve. Or cover, refrigerate, and save for later!
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
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HI! I am planning on making these bowls tonight, my question is with the couscous, I’ve made it several times and it tastes pretty bland and blah, can you give me any tips on how to boost the flavor of the couscous alone? I know the flavor will improve with all the delicious toppings, but I was hoping to work on making the couscous a bit better this time.
Thanks!
Hi Beth – This recipe has so much flavor that you don’t need to modify the couscous at all, but in general you can can use a variety of ways to add flavor to bland couscous. Try using homemade stock/broth instead of water, adding some herbs and spices, olive oil, or even raisins or dried appricots and almonds. – Jason
Hi! This comes at the perfect time. I was looking for a new recipe for the weekend! Can I substitute quinoa for couscous?
Yes, you can easily substitute quinoa for couscous. – Nicole
Made this tonight. Love the ease/speed in which it comes together, and the flexibility for kids to pick and choose their veggies and protein.
Thanks for a keeper!
I made this tonight. It was so tasty! I would suggest prepping all the veggies ahead to save time. Served it with tilapia & over quinoa…Delicious and not heavy!!
I love this- and bonus- all 3 of my kids (9,11,13) do too! I use farro instead of couscous and add sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts, or whatever I have. So versatile and delicious!!!
This is an excellent recipe! My whole family loved it. Definitely adding it to our regular meal rotation!
Absolutely love this recipe! My husband is a fan too (which surprised me since he loves his meat at dinner time). I take the leftovers for lunches. We’ve made this recipe a few times and the last time we were in a hurry and so I just mixed the greek yogurt with dried dill and it was very tasty as a sauce.
Awesome! Glad to hear everyone enjoyed it. – Nicole
So delicious and colorful! Already looking forward to having it again!
Suzanne, so glad to hear you love it. – Nicole