This is a one pot meal in every sense of the phrase.
It literally takes one pot to make this meal.
And, this is literally a meal in one pot—no other sides are required.
What I Love About This Israeli Couscous
Besides being a one pot meal, there are so many things about this Israeli Couscous with Leek and Tomato that I love.
Such as…
- It comes together in 30 minutes.
- The Israeli couscous. It’s really just pasta in a ball shape, but there’s something so satisfying about the bite. You can usually find Israeli couscous at Trader Joe’s, but here it is on Amazon [aff. link].
- The Leeks. Leeks are underutilized. They’re part of the onion family, but so much easier to chop and mince. Leeks also have a much milder flavor than onions, and they’re slightly sweet. The sautéed leeks add so much flavor to this dish.
- The almonds. The slivered, toasted almonds in this recipe add an amazing crunch to each bite. The almonds really complement the softness of the tomatoes and kale/spinach.
A Few Things!
And speaking of the kale/spinach, use whichever one you have on hand. I usually stick with spinach, but I used kale in the photos above. And I just may prefer it.
One more thing that’s a little unique with this recipe is that it uses 1 cup of vegetable broth and 1 cup of water to cook the couscous. I find that using 2 cups of vegetable broth overwhelms the other flavors we’ve developed with the leek and the tomatoes.
If you really like the flavor of your vegetable broth, feel free to use 2 cups of broth instead. Just be prepared for it to be a strong flavor.
Make This Israeli Couscous!
Make this One Pot Israeli Couscous with Leek and Tomato on a busy night this week. It’s the perfect, quick meal that doesn’t sacrifice flavor.
One Pot Israeli Couscous with Leek & Tomato
Ingredients
For the leek and garlic:
- 1 leek, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper
For the couscous:
- 1 ½ cups Israeli Couscous
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tbsp butter, (substitute with olive oil or Earth Balance Buttery Sticks to keep this dish vegan)
- ½ tsp sea salt
Everything else:
- ½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 14 oz can chickpeas, drained
- 2 cups fresh spinach or chopped kale
- ⅓ cup almonds, toasted
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan, freshly ground (optional, omit to keep this dish vegan)
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsely, minced
Instructions
Toast the almonds
- Toast the almonds in whatever pan you will cook the rest of the dish in. Choose a large skillet or a soup pot.
- Add the almonds to your pan, and toast them over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until the almonds start to brown. Shake the pan occasionally to ensure that the almonds toast on more than one side.
- Turn the heat off, and keep the almonds in the pan for 1-2 additional minutes, tossing every so often. The almonds are done, set them aside.
Cook the leek and garlic
- To the large skillet or soup pot that you just toasted your almonds in, add the olive oil, leek, and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for two minutes, then add ½ tsp sea salt and ⅛ tsp pepper.
- Now turn the heat down to medium low and cook for another 3 minutes, until the leek turns bright green.
Add the tomatoes
- Add the tomatoes to the pan, and stir to incorporate.
Add the Israeli couscous
- Keeping the pan on medium low heat, add the Israeli couscous, butter, and remaining ½ tsp of sea salt. Stir to incorporate. Toast the couscous for five minutes, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Add the water and vegetable broth
- Now add the water and vegetable broth to the pan. Stir everything together with your spatula. Turn the heat down to low, and cook for 12-14 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is cooked through, but still has a little bit of a bite to it.
- Stir the couscous every so often to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Add the chickpeas and spinach (or kale)
- Keeping the heat on low, add the drained chickpeas and the spinach or kale. Use your spatula to gently fold the chickpeas and greens into the couscous mixture. Once the greens have just cooked through--about three minutes, turn the heat off.
Put it all together and serve
- Last, add in the almonds, lemon juice, parsley, and Parmesan (if using). Taste, and add more lemon juice and salt, if desired.
- Serve with additional Parmesan or parsley on each serving, if desired. This is a filling meal by itself, but you could also serve it with a side of Gardein and a salad, like this one.
This Post Has 5 Comments
Made this over the weekend it was delicious!
I absolutely agree with you that leeks are underutilized! I’m guilty of it myself. This recipe totally caught my attention, and I love the almonds in there. And the fact that it is a one-pot recipe definitely grabs my attention, too. No need to do more dishes than necessary! 🙂
Thanks David! Aren’t one pot meals the best?
I can’t believe how much good stuff you’ve packed into this couscous! I haven’t made couscous in such a long time, I’m way overdue. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks Jeff! This couscous dish is definitely a meal by itself. 😋