Bright & Herby Couscous Pilaf with Pistachios and Pomegranate
This herby couscous pilaf is a bright, flavor-packed side dish made with toasted pearl couscous, lemon, fresh herbs, crunchy roasted pistachios, and juicy pops of pomegranate. It’s light yet satisfying and pairs beautifully with everything from roasted vegetables to grilled chicken, fish, tofu, or honestly whatever you’ve got going on for dinner.
Boring side dishes be gone.
I shall only accept perfectly cooked tiny pasta balls, with an obnoxious amount of fresh herbs, studded with roasty pistachios and lil pomegranate gems.
Lowkey obsessed with this pilaf, y’all. It is giving everything I want in a healthy side dish – satisfying carbohydrates and tons of fresh flavor.
I did originally make this as a quinoa pilaf with tricolor quinoa and it was delicious, so that’s an option if you’d like a higher protein higher fiber carb choice, but there’s a soft spot in my heart for pearl couscous. It’s so good. (and my girls love it too!)
I specifically made this couscous pilaf to go with my sticky harissa tofu recipe, but it’s so versatile and pairs well with many dishes. Feel free to swap around the herbs, nuts, and fruit, however suits your fancy. You could use fresh basil instead of dill, pine nuts or slivered almonds instead of pistachios, dried cherries or cranberries instead of pomegranate. I contemplated adding feta, but ultimately decided to keep it fully plant-based. If you tossed some chunks of salty feta goodness in there, I wouldn’t be mad about it.
Moral of the story – another easily adaptable side dish to keep in your back pocket!
What You’ll Need to Make This Herbed Couscous Pilaf:
- You could make this with traditional couscous (the teeny tiny little grains) but I think this recipe is especially good with pearl couscous. You can find it in the rice/grains aisle of any major grocery store.
- Cooking couscous in vegetable broth instead of water adds flavor directly into the couscous. I use the Better Than Bouillon base; it’s great!
- I’m loving the garlic paste in a tube as a garlic shortcut, but freshly minced garlic cloves work great too.
- Snag a really great-quality olive oil for this dish, as the flavor and richness really comes through.
- Don’t you dare skimp on the fresh herbs! I highly recommend all three, parlsey, dill and mint, but you can mix and match what you have. Thinly sliced green onions or basil will also work.
- Use both the lemon zest and juice. The zest brings big lemon flavor while the juice adds brightness and acidity.
- If pomegranate isn’t in season, use dried cherries, cranberries, or mandarin orange wedges.
How to Make Couscous Pilaf:
Warm olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic paste, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the pearl couscous and toss to coat in the oil and seasonings. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the couscous is lightly toasted and golden in spots.
Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes until the couscous is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork, then toss with the remaining olive oil and the lemon zest and juice.
Transfer the couscous to a large serving bowl and add the parsley, dill, mint, roasted pistachios, and pomegranate arils. Toss everything together until evenly combined, then taste and adjust with another drizzle of olive oil, squeeze of lemon, or pinch of salt if needed.
Serve warm or at room temperature as a bright, herby side dish alongside tofu, chicken, fish, steak, or roasted vegetables.
FAQs
Yes, it holds up really well! You can make it a day or two in advance and store it in the fridge. I like bringing it back to room temperature before serving and adding an extra squeeze of lemon and drizzle of olive oil to freshen it up.
Yes! Quinoa, orzo, or farro would all work here. The texture will be a little different, but the herbs, lemon, pistachios, and pomegranate would still make it delicious.
Anything! But here are a few very delicious ideas: Harissa tofu, sweet chili salmon, grilled balsamic chicken, thinly sliced steak, pork tenderloin, roasted vegetables, and miso chicken thighs.
Next up, this GLORIOUS sticky harissa tofu to pile on top! Stay tuned 😏
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Herby Couscous Pilaf with Roasted Pistachios and Pomegranate
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This bright and herby couscous pilaf is tossed with lemon, fresh herbs, roasted pistachios, and juicy pomegranate for a vibrant, flavorful side dish that pairs with almost any meal.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons garlic paste or 3–4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- scant 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth *(see note)
- zest and juice of 1 whole lemon
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup roasted pistachios, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons garlic paste (or minced garlic), pinch of red pepper flakes, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper, sautèing until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in 1 cup pearl couscous, tossing to get it coated in the oil and seasonings. Toast for 3-4 minutes until the couscous is lightly browned all over.
- Pour in 1 ½ cups vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so that the liquid is at a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- When the couscous is cooked, remove from the heat, fluff it up and drizzle in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and the zest and juice of an entire lemon.
- Place the couscous in a large serving bowl along with ⅓ cup parsley, 2 tablespoons dill, ¼ cup mint, ¼ cup roasted pistachios and ½ cup pomegranate arils. Toss well to combine.
- Taste and adjust with another glug of olive oil, squeeze of lemon or pinch of salt, per your tastes.
Serve as an irresistible side dish for tofu, chicken, fish, steak or ANYTHING really!
Notes
Broth: I used 1 ½ cup water + a scant tablespoon of Better than Bouillon vegetable base (very yummy! Def recommend). You may need to add a pinch more or less salt, depending on the saltiness of whichever kind of broth you use.
Refer to the above blog post for step-by-step photos, ingredient information and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 heaping cup
- Calories: 316
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 266.1 mg
- Fat: 8.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 50.6 g
- Fiber: 6.4 g
- Protein: 11.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
