Perfect Wholewheat Couscous
Five minutes, no hob, no measuring jug if you don't want one. Couscous doesn't absorb fat the way rice or pasta does, so cooking it in stock is the only way to get flavour into the grain itself.
why it works
Wholewheat couscous keeps the grain's natural fibre where the standard white version has had it stripped out, so it releases more slowly and does more for your cholesterol. It's also the fastest carbohydrate base there is — nothing else goes from dry to fluffy in five minutes.
Ingredients
- 120–150g wholewheat couscous (75g per person for a hungry portion)
- 180–225ml vegetable stock — half a stock cube in boiling water
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- black pepper
Method
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Dry couscous into a wide bowl or shallow heatproof container. Stir in the olive oil and a good grind of black pepper.
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Pour the hot stock over. The ratio is 1 part couscous to 1.5 parts liquid — or if you'd rather not measure at all, pour until the liquid sits 1cm above the level of the grains.
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Stir once, quickly, then cover tightly with a plate or cling film to trap the steam.
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Leave it completely untouched for 5 minutes.
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Uncover and rake through with a fork to separate the grains and make it light. A spoon compacts it.
remix
- Half a stock cube in the water is the single biggest upgrade available here
- Lemon zest, chopped parsley or toasted flaked almonds forked through at the end
- A teaspoon of olive oil stirred in before the liquid keeps the grains separate
- Works cold the next day as a salad base — it doesn't go hard in the fridge the way rice does
- Bulgur wheat is the higher-fibre swap if you have twelve minutes rather than five