Do you ever find yourself in a side-dish dilemma? I bet you know what I’m talking about: dinnertime is drawing near, you’ve got the main dish covered, but you still need something more to complete the meal. I often find myself in this predicament. While there’s no shame in plunking down a few random veggies or a dinner roll and calling it a side, these last-minute additions can sometimes feel a little unsatisfying, you know?
This is where Moroccan apricot couscous can help. This (vegan!) couscous dish can be on the table in just twenty minutes and is largely centered on shelf-stable kitchen staples—couscous, dried fruit, and nuts—so with a bit of luck, you won’t even need to plan ahead! Dried apricots and almonds introduce bursts of sweetness and crunch, while cinnamon, turmeric, and fresh cilantro create a complexity of flavor that will send you back for seconds. This vibrant, aromatic couscous may even upstage the entrée as the star of the show!
I’m sharing the recipe for this Moroccan apricot couscous over at The Gracious Pantry, so head on over to Tiffany’s blog to get the details. Her site is a veritable wealth of clean eating recipes, so I hope you’ll take a look around and find some recipe inspiration!
Wow so pretty!!!
Thanks, Kellie!
Cons cous makes a great side dish! Love the addition of almonds for crunch! Kudos to you for actually getting passed the main dish and thinking about side dishes. Most nights I’m still tearing my hair out about what the main dish is going to be! :/
Thanks! Couscous is a great time-saver when it comes to side dishes. But don’t worry – I definitely still have those days when I can’t figure out a main dish…like tonight, actually!
So bright and colorful!
Gotta love naturally colorful food, right? Thanks for stopping by!
I love cous cous! It looks amazing 🙂
Thanks, Amanda! I’m glad this caught your eye 🙂
A great idea when I host the book club next time. Half the people are vegetarians.
Definitely! You’ll have to let me know what they (and you) think!
This dish sounds delicious, and I love how you used so many common kitchen items. The bright colors are the most inviting part. And, I’m sure all the guests at the fiesta will eat this side dish right up. Happy FF, and have a fantastic weekend! 😀
Thanks! It’s always nice to have some recipes you can make without having to plan ahead or run to the store, isn’t it? I hope you have a great weekend as well!
I’m with you, I like to add something to the meal instead of just plunking down a veggie, and I love love you recipe. My hubby doesn’t care for apricots (so he thinks 🙂 ) but I’m thinking mango would work too?
Thanks, Julie! Dried mango could work, I think, or else I was also considering using dried cherries. If you make it, please let me know what you think!
Couscous is just the best isn’t it? This looks so delicious! 🙂
Thanks! I can’t believe I didn’t like couscous as a kid…it wasn’t until I started cooking for myself that I realized what a lifesaver quick-cooking foods can be!
We just stayed in an African themed resort and I jotted down that I wanted to do a take on their saffron rice with apricots. Thanks for more inspiration! This looks amazing!
Ooh, what a fun resort! Saffron and apricots sounds wonderful – I bet you could swap out the turmeric in this for saffron and it would be all sorts of deliciousness 🙂
I cook similar couscous pretty often too and love it, you can add different veggies and greens and get a new dish! Thanks for bringing it to Fiesta Friday!
PS You may also give a link to FF 😉
Have a nice weekend!
Yes, I love the versatility of couscous! I don’t have a link in each post, but I do have one on the “Features” page. Thanks for stopping by!
I am generally a total side dish failure, so yes yes yes to this couscous! Off to check out the recipe!
I very much doubt that you’re a failure at anything, but I’m glad to know I’m not riding this particular struggle bus alone! I hope you get a chance to try the couscous!
Oh wow, that couscous looks gorgeous!!
Thanks! I’m glad it caught your eye!
Love this kind of food – delicious and beautiful and pretty healthy too – the perfect side dish!
Thanks! I know it’s not exactly low carb, but I like to think it’s quite healthy overall. I hope you get a chance to try it!
I love the colours and I completely agree that you need that extra something sometimes and this looks so perfect! 🙂
I’m glad you agree! Thanks for stopping by 🙂