Elephantastic Vegan

  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • Cookbooks
  • About
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • Cookbooks
  • About
  • Contact
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • Cookbooks
  • About
  • Contact
×
Home » Recipes » Recipes

Simple Onion Couscous

Published: Jul 1, 2022 by Bianca · This post may contain affiliate links · 11 Comments

1.2K shares
  • Facebook4
  • Email
Jump to Recipe
Simple Onion Couscous
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

  • couscous in water
  • couscous in pot
Step 1: Bring the water, salt, and lemon juice to a boil. Add in the couscous. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the lid on top. Let it soak for 5 minutes.
  • onions in pan
  • caramelized onions
Step 2: Cook the sliced onions until soft and slightly brown and caramelized.
  • couscous with parsley and onions
  • couscous with parsley and onions
Step 3: Add onion and parsley to the couscous. Mix it all together.
Simple Onion Couscous
I served this onion couscous with vegan nuggets, steamed broccoli, and soy yogurt (unsweetened!) dip.

Serve it with...

  • Seitan Chicken Nuggets
  • Vegan Date-Sweetened BBQ Sauce
  • Spicy Cauliflower Wings
  • Vegan Steak with Herb Butter and Roasted Potatoes
  • Homemade Vegan Sausages

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
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mediterranean, Vegan
Servings 4 people
Calories 197 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 ⅓ cup water
  • 1 cup couscous
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon canola oil (or olive, sunflower, rapeseed oil)
  • 2 yellow onions
  • ½ 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!
1.2K shares
  • Facebook4
  • Email

Comments

    5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

    July 25, 2015 at 1:41 pm

    Totally! This would go well with any main dish! The perfect side to bring!

    Reply
    • Bianca says

      July 26, 2015 at 9:58 pm

      I totally agree! :) Thanks Rebecca!

      Reply
  2. Sina says

    July 25, 2015 at 5:01 pm

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

    Reply
    • Bianca says

      July 26, 2015 at 10:02 pm

      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. :)

      Reply
  3. Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says

    July 27, 2015 at 10:10 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Bianca says

      July 28, 2015 at 3:12 pm

      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!

      Reply
  4. Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says

    July 28, 2015 at 11:24 am

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

    Reply
    • Bianca says

      July 28, 2015 at 3:13 pm

      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!

      Reply
  5. Lucie Javorska says

    July 28, 2015 at 12:12 pm

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

    Reply
    • Bianca says

      July 28, 2015 at 3:14 pm

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

      Reply
  6. Shelby says

    May 13, 2021 at 11:57 pm

    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!

    Reply

Welcome!

I’m Bianca. On my blog, you’ll find easy & delicious vegan recipes. I create 'meaty', 'fishy', and 'cheesy' recipes because I like to blow minds.

More about me

Most popular recipes:

  • Vegan Falafel Curry
    Vegan Falafel Curry

  • Vegan Banana Bread Pancakes with Chocolate Chunks | ElephantasticVegan.com
    Vegan Banana Bread Pancakes with Chocolate Chunks (+Video)

  • Green Falafel with collard greens
    Vegan & Gluten-free Green Falafel

  • Vegan Breakfast Recipes
    12 Vegan Breakfast Recipes

As seen in...

Footer

↑ back to top

Follow Me

Subscribe

Sign up for my newsletter.

Quick Links

  • About the author
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. While clicking these links won't cost you any extra money, they will help me keep this site up and running!

Copyright © 2025 Elephantastic Vegan

1.2K shares
  • 4

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.