Couscous is no longer the hard to fine, expensive ingredient it used to be and is easily found on most supermarket shelves. It comes in many varieties, I love the wholemeal and giant couscous, both of which you can use to make this Sweet Potato Couscous although I have used the basic couscous here as it works out to just 26p for the couscous itself!
This is a brilliant alternative to rice or pasta for a main, side or a packed lunch. It tastes good hot or cold which makes it versatile and it great for big get togethers or to meal prep and add alterative toppings too. I love this is with some griddled halloumi. Friends of mine like to add left over roast meat diced up or prawns. Change up the protein and you transform the dish so it will last you a couple of meals in a row without feeling boring.
This amount makes enough for 4 main course portions but of course it would serve more if you have it as a side. I calculate that it costs around £2.50 to make this dish, depending on the seasonal price of the veggies which is still under 75p a portion.
Sweet Potato Couscous
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato, chopped into 1cm cubes
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- one vegetable stock cube or a tablespoon of vegetable bullion powder
- 200g uncooked couscous
- 200g cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- large handful of finely chopped parsley
- 25g sesame seeds
- freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to gas 7/220°C/fan 200°C.
- Step 2 Toss the sweet potato cubes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the ground coriander and cumin. Bake for 20mins so the potato is cooked through.
- Step 3 While they are cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium size saucepan and soften the red onion over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes before stirring in the couscous and a stock cube well broken up or the bullion powder. Stir together and add cold water to just cover the couscous. Bring it to the boil and then cover and remove from the heat. Leave with the cover on for 5minutes so the couscous can cook through.
- Step 4 When the potatoes are cooked and the couscous is ready, combine together. Stir through the remaining oil, lemon juice and parsley.
- Step 5 In a small frying pan dry fry the sesame seeds. You need to keep and eye on them as they can burn but they should be golden brown. Stir into the rest of the salad.
- Step 6 You can serve this warm if you wish or wait for it to cool.
