Best 6 Tunisian Couscous With Fennel Red Peppers And Garlic Recipes

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**Tunisian Couscous with Fennel, Red Peppers, and Garlic: A Flavorful and Aromatic Delight**

Embark on a culinary journey to Tunisia with this tantalizing dish of couscous, a staple in North African cuisine. Couscous, tiny semolina balls, serves as the base for this flavorful dish, infused with the vibrant flavors of fennel, red peppers, and garlic. This traditional Tunisian recipe promises an explosion of taste and aroma that will transport you to the vibrant streets of Tunis. Alongside the main couscous dish, you'll also discover delightful recipes for a refreshing fennel and orange salad, a spicy harissa paste to add a fiery kick, and a traditional Tunisian mint tea to perfectly complement the meal. Get ready to savor the authentic taste of Tunisia with this comprehensive guide to a culinary masterpiece.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

TOASTED FENNEL CRUSTED TUNA WITH SAFFRON-RED PEPPER SAUCE AND SPRING VEGETABLE COUSCOUS



Toasted Fennel Crusted Tuna with Saffron-Red Pepper Sauce and Spring Vegetable Couscous image

Provided by Bobby Flay

Categories     main-dish

Time 40m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 22

1/2 cup whole fennel seeds, toasted
4 (6-ounce) tuna steaks
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 red peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 cup water
Pinch saffron
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Israeli couscous
Water
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 spears asparagus, blanched and cut into 1-inch pieces on the bias
2 red peppers, julienned
2 yellow peppers, julienned
1 zucchini, julienned
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon harissa

Steps:

  • Place fennel seeds in a coffee grinder and coarsely grind and place on a large plate. Brush tuna with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Preheat saute pan or grill pan over high heat until smoking. Dredge one side of the tuna in the fennel seeds. Saute, fennel-side down for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown, turn over and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes for rare doneness.
  • Heat oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the red peppers, vinegar, water and saffron and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Place in a blender and blend until smooth, season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the couscous and cook until lightly golden brown. Cover with water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Cook until al dente, drain and place into a large bowl. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan and saute the vegetables until just cooked through. Add the vegetables and oil to the couscous. Whisk together the soy sauce and harissa and pour over the couscous and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

TUNISIAN COUSCOUS WITH FENNEL, RED PEPPERS AND GARLIC



Tunisian Couscous With Fennel, Red Peppers and Garlic image

A Paula Wolfert recipe. The melange of dill and fennel, celery leaves, red pepper flakes, and spices makes for a light and delicious couscous. Since this type of couscous tends to be slightly dry, you may want to serve it with glasses of buttermilk, the traditional way. I adapted the recipe to make without a couscousier.

Provided by Elmotoo

Categories     Grains

Time 1h

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 20

1/4 cup dill
1/4 cup fennel leaves (anise)
1/2 cup parsley
1/4 cup celery leaves
1/4 cup carrot greens
1/2 cup scallions (or a combination) or 1/2 cup leek (or a combination)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
2 teaspoons ground coriander or 2 teaspoons tabil
1 teaspoon ground caraway
1 1/2-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, dried, preferably Aleppo
2 1/2 cups medium grain couscous or 1 lb couscous
3 cups water, divided
1 fresh green chile, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 6 parts
6 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

Steps:

  • Wash the greens under running water. Drain and roughly chop. Wash and chop the scallions and leeks. Steam greens, scallions, and leeks, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, uncovered. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess moisture and set aside.
  • Heat the olive oil in a 10- or 12-inch skillet and add the onion. Cook 2 to 3 minutes to soften, then add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the paste glistens. Add the crushed garlic, paprika, salt, coriander or tabil, caraway and red pepper flakes and cook slowly until the mixture is well blended. Add 1 cup water, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir the dry couscous into the contents of the skillet and stir until well blended. Stir in the steamed greens, leeks and scallions and mix well. Fold in the green chili, red pepper and garlic cloves. Add 1c water, cover & cool on low for 10 minutes.
  • Turn out the couscous onto a large, warm serving dish. Use a long fork to break up lumps; fish out the whole garlic cloves and red pepper slices, reserving them. Stir 1 cup water into the couscous, taste for seasoning, and cover with foil. Set it in a warm place for 10 minutes before serving.
  • Decorate the couscous with the red pepper slices in a star pattern and place the whole garlic cloves on top. Serve with glasses of buttermilk.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 718.7, Fat 28.6, SaturatedFat 4, Sodium 1295.5, Carbohydrate 99.5, Fiber 9.9, Sugar 5.9, Protein 16.9

AUTHENTIC TUNISIAN COUSCOUS AU POULET



Authentic Tunisian Couscous Au Poulet image

In order to make authentic couscous, you have to use the right cooking pot, a "couscousiere". The "stew" portion is cooked in the large pot base and the couscous is cooked in the steam of the stew sitting atop on a fitted steamer.

Provided by TGharbi

Categories     Chicken Breast

Time 50m

Yield 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 18

2 cups couscous (I like Tria or Ile de France brand)
4 medium potatoes, cubed
2 cups baby carrots
1 large turnip
2 -3 green peppers, cored and quartered
1 (10 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup olive oil, to cover pot bottom
1 large onion, chopped
2 whole boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons ras el hanout spice mix (substitute 1 tbsp each ground caraway and ground coriander if unavailable)
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 pinch saffron, ground
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon harissa, if desired (or more)
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained (optional)
1/4 cup salted butter
salt and pepper
water

Steps:

  • Pour couscous in large bowl and cover with water. Water will be absorbed. Set aside.
  • In the pot part of the couscousiere, pour a generous amount of olive oil, maybe 1/2 inches deep, and the chopped onion. Add a little salt and sauté until onion is translucent. Add the chicken, with more salt, and brown until not pink but not overcooked. If the temperature gets too hot, add warm water to cover and continue to cook. Now add your dry spices including about 1/2 teaspoons salt and generous sprinkling of pepper. Before adding the saffron, dilute in hot water. Mix thoroughly and bring to a covered boil. Add all of tomato paste and mix thoroughly, then adding carrots, turnip and green peppers. Mix thoroughly, adding enough water to cover vegetables.
  • Go back to your couscous and add about a 1/2 cup of water to wet more.
  • Last, add your potatoes and give the stew a good stir making sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pot.
  • Place the "steamer" part of the couscousiere atop the stew pot. Pour your wetted couscous; don't worry--it won't fall through the holes! Spread evenly. I like to make a little opening so steam can escape through a hole or two. Now put the lid on the top and turn down the heat to a simmer. Note: when stirring occasionally, have a plate ready to put the steamer part on while you stir the stew. Be sure to wear oven mitts because the steam can easily burn.
  • By the time you put the top on, it takes about 20-30 minutes to cook. Your couscous will become very fluffy. If it looks too dry, pour some hot water over. Make sure your carrots are done before turning off, but be sure to turn off before your potatoes turn to mush. Just before removing, add your harissa and drained chick peas and mix thoroughly. (Some people ladle out some broth and add more harissa as an optional topping for those who like it extra hot!).
  • Taste test for salt at the end. It should be slightly on the salty side to compensate for the bland couscous.
  • Remove the couscous and pour into a large bowl. Stick a fork in your butter stick and coat thoroughly. The ladle out some broth and coat thoroughly for very wet consistency.
  • Option #1 Place couscous in large bowl or platter and make a well in the center for a mixture of chicken and vegetables.
  • Option #2 Mix chicken pieces and vegetables throughout the couscous.
  • Option #3 Place the couscous and stew portions in a separate bowls for assembly at the table.
  • Because of the amount of water you need to cover everything, you'll no doubt end up with more broth than needed. Once cool, freeze in freezer bags and it makes an ideal sauce for a quick pasta meal (just be sure to coat with butter first; it's a crucial step to make the sauce stick).
  • Couscous is an extremely versatile dish inasmuch as it can be made with beef, lamb, fish or even spicy sausage (merguez) or even a combination!
  • Note: if time is a factor, the stew portion can be made ahead of time and then simply reheated to add the couscous steamer on top.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 805.1, Fat 35.7, SaturatedFat 10.2, Cholesterol 82.2, Sodium 564.5, Carbohydrate 89.2, Fiber 10.8, Sugar 12.2, Protein 33.8

COUSCOUS WITH RED PEPPERS



Couscous With Red Peppers image

Provided by Pierre Franey

Categories     side dish

Time 10m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-size sweet red pepper, cored, seeded and chopped into small pieces
4 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup water
1 cup quick-cooking couscous
4 tablespoons chopped parsley

Steps:

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a saucepan. Add the red pepper, onion, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until wilted, but do not brown.
  • Add the lemon juice and water and bring to a boil. Add the couscous and blend well. Cover tightly and remove from the heat. Let stand 5 minutes.
  • Add the remaining oil and parsley. Stir with a fork to blend and separate the grains. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 240, UnsaturatedFat 6 grams, Carbohydrate 37 grams, Fat 7 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 6 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 361 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams

TUNISIAN COUSCOUS



Tunisian Couscous image

Make and share this Tunisian Couscous recipe from Food.com.

Provided by me2006

Categories     Grains

Time 1h50m

Yield 4 cups, 3-4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 14

2 cups uncooked couscous
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, cubed
1 large green pepper, cubed
1 large zucchini, cubed
2 potatoes
2 carrots
14 ounces chickpeas
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili paste or 1 tablespoon harissa
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt and pepper

Steps:

  • Saute onion and olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add tomato paste, chickpeas, and 1 cup of water, and allow to boil for 15 minutes.
  • Cut vegetables, place them into pot, add 4 1/4 cup of water, and bring to a boil. Allow to cook for 30-45 minutes, or until veggies are cooked.
  • To prepare couscous, place it into a colander or sifter, replacing about 1 cup water with tomato sauce. (NOTE: I used couscous that only needed to sit in hot water for 5 minutes to cook. When doing so, I used 1 cup water and 1 cup of the sauce).
  • Place couscous in a large bowl, pour some of the sauce over it, and arrange vegetables on top.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 873.4, Fat 12.3, SaturatedFat 1.7, Sodium 629.3, Carbohydrate 165.2, Fiber 20.8, Sugar 11, Protein 28.1

TUNISIAN GRILLED PEPPERS AND TOMATOES WITH COUSCOUS



Tunisian Grilled Peppers and Tomatoes with Couscous image

This spicy, juicy meal, perfect for the summer, is one of a variety of Tunisian grilled salads. The couscous can be served warm or at room temperature. This makes a heavenly summer meal. Reconstitute some couscous and top with this spicy, juicy mix of grilled pepper and tomato salad. You can serve the couscous warm or at room temperature. The pepper salad is typical of Tunisian grilled salads (mechwya), of which there are many versions (eggplant can be included in the mix). In Tunisia, a spice mix called tabil would be used to season the peppers. I keep the mix on hand, without the dried garlic, but here I've given you a mix of spices to use. You can substitute tabil if you have some; the mix will be a little hotter because there is cayenne in the tabil.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories     main course

Time 45m

Yield Serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 13

3 large bell peppers, preferably a mix of red, yellow and green or yellow, orange and red (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 green Anaheim peppers
1 pound ripe but firm tomatoes
1 or 2 garlic cloves, to taste
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground caraway
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch of cayenne (more to taste)
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
2 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 to 1 1/2 cups couscous, reconstituted (3 to 4 1/2 cups reconstituted couscous)
Imported black olives for garnish

Steps:

  • Grill peppers over a hot grill or a gas flame, or under a broiler, until charred. Place in a bowl and cover with a plate or with plastic. Allow to cool.
  • Grill tomatoes over a hot grill or under a broiler for about 3 minutes, until skins split and char. If tomatoes are large, turn over and grill on the other side. Small tomatoes needn't be turned. You do not want to cook them until they're overly soft. Remove from heat, place in a bowl and allow to cool until you can handle them.
  • When peppers are cool enough, stem and peel. Holding them over the bowl to catch juices, seed and cut in 2-inch long strips. Transfer to another bowl and strain in juices. Peel, core and slice tomatoes. Cut slices into strips and transfer, with juices, to bowl with peppers.
  • In a mortar and pestle, purée garlic with a generous pinch of salt. Add caraway, coriander and cayenne if using. Work in the lemon juice and olive oil and toss with vegetables. Add half the parsley and toss together. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  • Warm couscous if desired and divide among plates or wide bowls. Spoon on pepper and tomato salad with juices in bowl. Sprinkle more parsley on top and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 249, UnsaturatedFat 6 grams, Carbohydrate 41 grams, Fat 7 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 6 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 479 milligrams, Sugar 9 grams

Tips:

  • To achieve the perfect couscous texture, it's essential to use the proper water-to-couscous ratio. This recipe calls for 1 cup of dry couscous to 1 1/2 cups of boiling water.
  • For enhanced flavor, toast the couscous in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it turns a light golden brown. This step adds a nutty flavor to the dish.
  • Use a vegetable broth instead of water for cooking the couscous. This simple substitution intensifies the overall flavor of the dish.
  • Don't overcrowd the pan when sautéing the vegetables. If necessary, cook them in batches to ensure they brown properly and maintain their texture.
  • If you prefer a spicier dish, add an extra pinch of red pepper flakes or a chopped chili pepper to the vegetable mixture.
  • Top the couscous with fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, or mint just before serving for an additional burst of flavor and color.

Conclusion:

Tunisian couscous with fennel, red peppers, and garlic is a vibrant and flavorful dish that showcases the best of Mediterranean cuisine. By following these tips and using fresh, high-quality ingredients, you can easily create a delicious and authentic meal that will impress your family and friends. This versatile dish can be served as a main course, a side dish, or even as a salad. Its combination of savory flavors and textures makes it a perfect choice for any occasion. So, gather your ingredients, put on your apron, and embark on a culinary journey to Tunisia with this delightful recipe!

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