Couscous with puy lentil and veggies
I wanted to share this recipe for a long time now. And do you know when you have such a great idea for a post and then something gets on your way and you lose your inspiration? Well, that kinda happened to me. My internet went crazy and I’m writing this post for the third time. But never mind, I think you will forgive me after you taste this super delicious recipe. I can say it’s quick and the hardest part of doing this dish is probably chopping up the veggies. I know, right. 🙂
First time when I made this dish I’ve had it with spaghetti, so it was kinda spaghetti bolognese with lentils. And I have to admit, it was so delicious and filling that I ate just a half of my portion. Today, I didn’t have any spaghetti so I thought I can use couscous. Now I’m happy that I did because it’s much lighter than spaghetti or any other pasta. It’s perfect for these rainy and gloomy days like today or maybe a nice family dish during the winter. However, you will enjoy this simple lunch (or dinner) idea. Also, the sauce is vegan, gluten free and nut free.
This is my happy face because we finished the shooting and we can finally eat 🙂
5 Health benefits – Lentils:
- Lentils help to reduce blood cholesterol (it contains high levels of soluble fibre)
- An excellent source of protein
- Loaded with Iron
- Helps with digestion
- Weight loss (no fat but are high in fibre)
A one-cup serving of lentil contains:
- 18 grams of protein
- 40 grams of carbohydrates
- Less than 1 gram of fat
- 16 grams of fibre
- 230 calories
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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- 1 tbsp carrot (Extra Virgin)
- 1 chopped onion (medium)
- 1/2 cup puy lentils (uncooked)
- 1 tbsp oregano (dried
- 1 vegetable stock (in 1L water)
- 3 chopped tomatoes (small)
- 1 red bell pepper (large)
- 1 chopped carrot (large)
- a handful of fresh benefits
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 cup frozen sweet corn (or canned)
- 1 tbsp milled flaxseeds (optional)
Ingredients
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- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with the olive oil. Add onions with Oregano and salt. (Adding oregano at the beginning of cooking will help with the taste.) Stir over a medium heat for 1 minute,
- Add chopped carrots and red bell peppers. Cook for another 2-3 mins.
- Now add chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, sweet corn and rinsed lentils. Stir well so that the tomato purée goes all through the veggies. Pour 500ml of vegetable stock. Let it cook for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the basil leaves and sweet corn and Add another 500ml of stock. Cook for 10 more minutes.
- I’ve added milled flaxseeds for extra fibre and to thicken the sauce a bit. It’s optional so don’t worry if you don’t have any in your cupboard.
- Taste the sauce and add more seasoning if needed.
- The proportion of couscous was always a bit tricky for me. Usually, I would put too much of it without even noticing. So the rule is - One cup of uncooked couscous makes around 4 cooked. Now when you know that, to save some time, put the kettle to boil. Pour the boiled water into a medium saucepan, add couscous and a bit of salt. Leave it to sit for 10 minutes (don't forget to cover the pan). If you want, you can use a vegetable stock instead of just salty water, but that's up to you. When it finishes, couscous will absorb the water so use a fork to fluff the cooked couscous.
