Instant Pot Couscous is the perfect addition to any recipe. It's fast and ready in just 5 minutes. When it comes to flavor and ease, couscous needs to be your answer every single time.
The best part about making this vegetarian dish is that its minimal effort on your part. It's a fast and simple way to feed yourself, the kids, and guests!
Using the Instant Pot is a great way to be able to add in all the ingredients, and then wait for it to come together perfectly! This simple side dish (or main entree) is perfect anytime the craving hits.
One of the biggest reasons that I love this couscous recipe is that it's versatile in how it can be made. While the steps below are MY favorite way to make it, don't be scared to vary up things and try out new combinations.
I've made this dish so many times, and I love pairing it with Instant Pot Steamed Dumplings!
Don't take my word for it, it's time to make it yourself!
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
Instant Pot Couscous is a simple side dish that you can prepare in a flash with inexpensive ingredients. It works like other grains, which you can use from breakfast bowls to family-friendly dinners.
This recipe is full of flavors and adaptable, making it great for a wide range of tastebuds.
- It's a great way to break out of the habit of making rice or quinoa
- This recipe makes a large portion and is great for leftovers
- Mixing and matching ingredients makes this dish taste different every time
Recipe Video
Recipe Ingredients
Couscous- Healthy and highly rich in nutrients that has a nuttier flavor and chewer texture.
Cherry Tomatoes- Slightly tart, juicy, and sour which give a unique taste to the recipe.
Cucumber - Perfect for adding a nice crisp texture.
Onion- Pair with a sweet onion for the most flavor.
Butter - I like to use salted butter for this recipe. You can also use vegan butter to make this into a vegan dish.
Vegetable Broth- The perfect liquid for adding a great flavor at the same time.
Feta Cheese - Feta cheese is especially good with the vegetables in this dish. You can use a vegan cheese as well.
Coriander Sprigs- A good source of fiber, used for flavoring food.
How to make Instant Pot Couscous
Step One: Add 1 tablespoon of Butter and ½ cup of Vegetable Broth into the instant pot.
Step Two: Put 1 cup of Couscous into the Instant Pot, put on the lid, and cook at low pressure for 1-minute.
Step Three: Take off the lid and add the cooked couscous to a bowl. Add 1 T of salt.
Step Four: Add the chopped onion.
Step Five: Add the cut-up cucumber.
Step Six: Add the halved cherries and the coriander sprigs.
Step Seven: Mix it all together, and you're ready to enjoy!
Variations
Add more veggies - There are endless possibilities of vegetables that you can add. If you want to add diced celery or even diced jalapenos for a kick of heat, do so!
Change the toppings - Add parmesan cheese would be a great topping for this recipe.
Helpful Tips
- Leave the outer skin on your cucumber as it makes it firm and gives it a delicious crunch.
- If you don't have cherry tomatoes, any type of tomato will work just fine!
How to Serve
There are so many ways that you can serve this dish!
This is one of the biggest reasons I love making it. I think it pairs well with a light dish like Instant Pot Sea Bass or you can enjoy it with some Instant Pot Corned Beef as well.
You can also serve it as a main dish for a meatless Monday dinner which is vegetarian and healthy.
If you want more options, check out What To Serve With Couscous and enjoy 20 delicious ideas.
FAQs
Yes, you can prepare it with any quantity of couscous as you wish. If you want to double, just double the ingredients and make it!
To store leftovers, just let the recipe cool all the way and then add it to an airtight container and keep it stored in the fridge.
It should stay fresh for up to 3 days of time.
Reheating is simple! You can reheat it in the microwave or even enjoy eating it cold as well!
Make sure that you stir it well after heating so that there aren't any hot spots.
Yes, you can use water instead of vegetable broth. You can use any type of broth or stock as well!
Regular couscous is much smaller and has fairly soft texture. Israeli couscous aka pearl couscous is bigger and has a chewy texture similar to pasta.
More Easy Side Dish Recipes
Everyone loves easy side dishes and I've got you covered with more! Here are some of my favorites that I think you'll love, too.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment below. Thanks!
Instant Pot Couscous
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter can be vegan
- ½ cup vegetable broth or water
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes chopped
- 1 cucumber chopped
- ¼ onion chopped
- coriander
- ¼ tablespoon feta cheese can be vegan
Instructions
- Add the butter, vegetable broth, and couscous to the Instant Pot and mix well.
- Close the lid and cook on low pressure for 1 minute.
- When cooking time is complete, do a quick pressure release.
- Take the couscous out of the iInstant Pot and place in a bowl.
- Add salt, pepper, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, coriander sprig, and feta cheese and stir well.
- Serve and enjoy 🙂
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- you can prepare it with any quantity of couscous as you wish. If you want to double, just double the ingredients and use cook for 1 minute as well.
- If you want a vegan recipe, use 1 tablespoon oil instead of butter.
- For better and delicious taste use vegetable broth instead of water.
- Leave the outer skin on your cucumber as it makes it firm and gives it a delicious crunch.
- If you don't have cherry tomatoes, any type of tomato will work just fine!
I think he meant 1 teaspoon salt. Not 1 tablespoon. Probably same of pepper