Skip to Content

Simple Onion Couscous

This Simple Onion Couscous is the perfect side dish to bring to BBQs and potlucks! Everyone will love it! And it takes only a few minutes to make.

Simple Onion Couscous

This simple Onion Couscous is my favorite side dish to bring to BBQs and potlucks! Thanks to the onion and parsley it is super flavorful and goes great with veggie sausages & patties, burgers, grilled veggies, and literally anything you can throw on a grill. Whenever we are having a BBQ I bring this dish and everyone loved it so far! It’s delicious either warm or cold.

You can make this dish in only a couple of minutes – so it’s the ideal choice if there is a spontaneous BBQ coming up and you’re still undecided about what to bring.

You’ll only need a couple of basic ingredients: Couscous, onions, parsley, and lemon juice! I usually have these ingredients at home all the time so I always have something to bring when I’m going grilling with friends.

It’s also a neat side dish for the summer – add some fresh roasted veggies, avocado, tofu, or tempeh to it and you’ll have a quick and easy lunch! It’s a great base for all kinds of summer-y bowls.

Simple Onion Couscous

How to make this Simple Onion Couscous

As always, you will find the whole recipe in the box below but I want to give you an overview of the ingredients and basic steps first.

The ingredients & possible substitutions

You will need:

  • couscous
  • lemon juice (or lime juice)
  • onions
  • fresh parsley (you can also add cilantro if you want to pursue a different flavor direction)
  • oil & salt

The basic steps

Simple Onion Couscous
I served this onion couscous with vegan nuggets, steamed broccoli, and soy yogurt (unsweetened!) dip.

Serve it with…

Love it? Rate it!

I hope you will enjoy this couscous with caramelized onions and parsley as much as I do! Let me know if you give it a try!

And don’t forget to rate the recipe if you like it, this helps other users figure out if it’s worth making! 

If you don’t want to miss out on any new recipes, subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on Instagram and Facebook!

Cheers, Bianca

Simple Onion Couscous

Simple Onion Couscous

Elephantastic Vegan
This Simple Onion Couscous is the perfect side dish to bring to BBQs and potlucks! Everyone will love it! And it takes only a few minutes to make.
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mediterranean, Vegan
Servings 4 people
Calories 197 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 1/3 cup water
  • 1 cup couscous
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon canola oil (or olive, sunflower, rapeseed oil)
  • 2 yellow onions
  • 1/2 cup parsley chopped

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot, add the water, lemon juice, and salt. Bring it to a boil.
  • Take the pot off the stovetop and add the couscous and put the lid back on. Let it soak for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, peel the onions, cut them in half, and slice them into half-rings. Chop the parsley.
  • Heat a large pan with the canola oil and place the onion rings in there. Cook them on medium-high heat while stirring constantly, and keep them on the heat until they're soft and get a nice golden color.
  • To the couscous, add the onions and chopped parsley. Give it a good mix. Serve either warm or cold!

Nutrition

Calories: 197kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 6gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 596mgPotassium: 198mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 633IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @elephantasticvegan or tag #elephantasticvegan!
Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn referral fees if you make a purchase through my link. While clicking these links won't cost you any extra money, they will help me keep this site up and running!
Recipe Rating




Shelby

Thursday 13th of May 2021

My friend just made this for me (I'm vegan, she's not) and it was DELICIOUS! I think I'll add some tofu to it when I make it!

Lucie Javorska

Tuesday 28th of July 2015

My kind of recipe! Simple, healthy and beautiful :)

Bianca

Tuesday 28th of July 2015

So glad you like it Lucie! It's always a huge hit at BBQs. Goes so well with all the other usual bbq ingredients :)

Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen

Tuesday 28th of July 2015

Simple yet exotic couscous! Addition of soya sauce sounds delish! :)

Bianca

Tuesday 28th of July 2015

Thanks Anu! I love to have a few basics for dishes. With grilled veggies and tofu/tempeh or seitan you can easily convert it into a full meal. So quick!

Natalie | Feasting on Fruit

Monday 27th of July 2015

Yum! I want to bring this to my potluck of one...a.k.a lunch ;) haha Couscous is so yummy, I love the texture I think it's my favorite form of 'pasta' if you can call it that! Such simple flavors but it sounds delish!

Bianca

Tuesday 28th of July 2015

hahaaha :D potluck of one! love it! also I've never thought of couscous as a form of pasta but you're so right! I always put couscous in the group of rice and quinoa but it fits much better to the pasta. Somehow I always end up making couscous when it's hot and "traditional" pasta when it's cold :D so weird!

Sina

Saturday 25th of July 2015

This sounds like the perfect side dish! :-) I just love couscous for quick dinners and of course also for salads.

Bianca

Sunday 26th of July 2015

Yes, this couscous really is the ideal side dish. It goes with so many things and it also makes a great main dish together with fresh veggies & tempeh/tofu/seitan. :)