If you’re looking for a hearty dish for the first cooler days of autumn, this recipe deserves a place on your table. Pearl couscous, sweet pumpkin, chickpeas, aromatic spices, fresh dill, lemon and feta come together in an easy meal that’s cooked almost entirely in a single saucepan.
The secret lies in lightly toasting the couscous and browning the courgette well. This gives the dish a richer flavour, whilst the cumin and allspice lend it warm aromas. Finally, the lemon and feta add the necessary tang and saltiness.
Serves: 4 Time: about 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- approx. 450 g butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or about 2 cups of cooked chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, plus a little more for serving
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- feta, crumbled by hand, for serving
- lemon, sliced
- approximately 480 ml water
Execution
In a large saucepan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over a medium to high heat. Add the couscous and toast it for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until it turns a lovely golden colour. Transfer it to a bowl to one side.
Season the pumpkin with salt and pepper. Add two more tablespoons of olive oil to the same saucepan and spread the pumpkin cubes out in a single layer. Leave them to brown well on one side, then stir until the pumpkin softens without falling apart. Set this aside as well.
Pour the remaining olive oil into the saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes, until the onion has softened.
Add the cumin, allspice and bay leaves and stir for about half a minute to allow their flavours to develop.
Pour in about 480 ml of water and return the toasted couscous to the saucepan. Cover and leave to simmer for about 7 minutes or until tender, but take care not to overcook it.
Remove from the heat and add the chickpeas, the roasted pumpkin, the lemon juice and the finely chopped dill. Stir gently and taste, adjusting the salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the bay leaves.
Serve whilst still hot, with plenty of grated feta, a little extra dill and fresh lemon on the side.
Little secrets for better results
Don’t forget to toast the couscous. It’s a small extra step that makes a noticeable difference to the flavour.
Also, the pumpkin needs space in the saucepan to brown. If the cubes are packed too tightly together, they will steam rather than caramelise.
If you don’t like dill, you can use parsley or mint. For a fully vegan version, simply leave out the feta or replace it with a plant-based alternative.
The result is a complete, hearty and satisfying dish, ideal both for an everyday lunch and for a simple Sunday meal.
