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Green Goddess Couscous Bowl

Any meal with green in the name just screams nourishing, and this green goddess & herbed couscous bowl is no exception! This herby avocado couscous salad is the perfect recipe for a spring and summer lunch option at home or in a packed lunch for school or work. You can whip this meal up in no time, as you can prepare the avocado salad and herbs while the couscous cooks. Then enjoy this couscous recipe, knowing the healthy fats from the avocado, hemp seeds, and olive oil can keep you going all afternoon. Plus, the four fresh herb combo with lemon juice creates a zingy, punchy flavor to jazz up the otherwise bland couscous.

Microgreens

This simple couscous salad recipe wouldn’t be the same without a decent handful of microgreens!

What are Microgreens?

These microgreens are essentially the young greens of edible vegetables and herbs. The seedlings or shoots of popular foods, such as broccoli, are harvested at only about 2 inches tall. Yet, despite these greens being so tiny, they are packed with nutrients and flavor!

Common Microgreens

You can usually find microgreens in your local grocery store by the other green veg.

Here are the most commonly found microgreens:

  1. Sunflower shoots (the most popular choice!)
  2. Pea shoots
  3. Radish shoots
  4. Broccoli shoots
  5. Red cabbage shoots
  6. Cress
  7. Wheatgrass

Ingredient Variations For This Herby Couscous

If you want to make this lemon and herb couscous gluten-free, simply swap the pearl couscous for quinoa, sorghum, or short-grain rice. You could also mix in cauliflower rice to add extra hidden vegetables and go lighter on the carbs. However, I encourage you to have a small portion of grains to fuel your body and keep you energized.

You can pick and choose your favorite microgreens for this recipe. If you are struggling to find microgreens in your local store, you can usually find cress, or, as a last resort, you can use shredded brussels sprouts and rocket leaves.

To add an additional protein source, throw some oven-roasted chickpeas or beans into the mix. This variation of couscous salad with chickpeas will add some crunch to the recipe to add texture and variety.

Green Goddess Couscous Bowl Nutrition Information

Safe to say, there is plenty of goodness in this dish! The main ingredient, the pearl couscous, for one, contains lots of vitamins and minerals. Most notably, couscous includes lots of the antioxidant selenium, which can help your body repair cell damage and reduce inflammation.

This couscous with greens wouldn’t be the same without the fresh herbs and microgreens. Not only do these add gorgeous green color to your dish, but they also provide you with many essential nutrients. Although it will depend on what variety of microgreens you have on hand, you can relax in the knowledge that the number of nutrients in these baby leaves can be as much as nine times higher than the nutrient level in the mature varieties of these vegetables.

And finally, the health benefits of the numerous healthy fats in this recipe – the avocado, hemp seeds, and olive oil. These unsaturated fats are crucial to a balanced diet and help you feel full and satiated after enjoying this salad. They act as a source of essential fatty acids, which the body cannot make itself. In addition, fats are necessary to help your body absorb the other nutrients in your food, including vitamins A, D, and E.

INGREDIENTS

Herbed Couscous

  • 1 cup pearl couscous
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh parsley leaves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh mint leaves, minced
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Avocado Microgreen Salad

  • 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
  • 1 cup  microgreens or sprouts
  • 1.5 tablespoon hemp seeds
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon tamari
  • 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

METHOD

Herbed Couscous

  1. In a small pot bring salted water to a boil.
  2. Add olive oil & stir in couscous
  3. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8 – 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Transfer couscous to a large mixing bowl. Add the cilantro, basil, parsley, and mint, and toss to coat. Generously season with sea salt and black pepper.

Avocado-Sprout Salad

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, gently toss the avocado, microgreens, hemp seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, and tamari until coated.
  2. Divide the herbed couscous and avocado-sprout salad between bowls. Enjoy immediately.
Green goddess couscous bowl

Green Goddess & Herbed Couscous Bowl

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Course Main Course, Salad

Ingredients
  

Herbed Couscous

  • 1 cup pearl couscous
  • 1.5 cups water
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley leaves minced
  • 1 tbsp  fresh mint leaves minced
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Avocado Microgreen Salad

  • 1 avocado pitted, peeled, and diced
  • 1 cup microgreens or sprouts
  • 1.5 tbsp hemp seeds
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp tamari
  • 1/2 tsp olive oil

Instructions
 

For the Herbed Couscous

  • In a small pot bring salted water to a boil.
  • Add olive oil & stir in couscous
  • Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8 – 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Transfer couscous to a large mixing bowl. Add the cilantro, basil, parsley, and mint, and toss to coat. Generously season with sea salt and black pepper.

Avocado-Sprout Salad

  • In a medium mixing bowl, gently toss the avocado, microgreens, hemp seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, and tamari until coated.
  • Divide the herbed couscous and avocado-sprout salad between bowls. Enjoy immediately.