This dump & bake casserole features fresh lemon and herbs, pearl couscous, and honey-coated halloumi. It all bakes together in the oven to make a protein-packed vegetarian dinner!
In my venture to make every possible combination of dump and bake casserole (kidding...ish) and my recent uptick in salsa making, I present you with this Roasted Red Pepper Couscous Bake.
This bake uses pearl couscous, which reminds me more of orzo than couscous. This was actually originally a stuffed red pepper recipe that I originally tested for my 2023 cookbook (!), but I just couldn't get it to a place that I liked it.
The end result after a few years: Herby lemon-seasoned couscous paired with broiled red peppers and shallot and honey-tossed halloumi. Sweet, herby, savory, salty...so much good stuff going on here!
Ingredients
- Pearl couscous: Not to be confused with couscous which is very fine, this couscous is a small round ball that cooks up similarly to pasta.
- Fresh herbs: These are key in this recipe because they add a ton of flavor. I use fresh mint or basil, oregano, and parsley. Feel free to experiment with combinations.
- Lemon: Both the juice and zest are used, so choose one large or two small lemons.
- Halloumi: This salty, squeaky cheese pairs well with honey. It's added at the end so that it doesn't boil, which affects the texture.
- Red peppers and shallots: While you can use jarred roasted red peppers for a quick swap, broiling peppers in the oven is a quick trick to impart a lot of smoky flavor.
- Tomato: I tested this recipe with a large garden tomato and canned tomatoes. Of course the garden tomato was most delicious, but I can confirm that a can of (drained!) diced tomatoes works as well.
Step by step
Start by broiling the red peppers and shallots. Slice each shallot into 3-4 thick pieces. Slice the red peppers into 1-inch pieces. Drizzle with a bit of oil, then spread out on a sheet pan.
Place in a preheated broiling drawer or on the topmost oven shelf, depending on your oven. Broil until blackened in places (see the photo below), this will take 5-15 minutes depending on the strength of your oven.
Meanwhile, in a 9x13-inch baking dish combine the couscous, vegetable broth, drained chickpeas, lemon juice, roughly chopped garlic, diced and cored tomato (or canned diced tomato), half of the chopped fresh herbs, cumin, and salt. Stir in the roasted red pepper and shallot.
Cover tightly with an oven-safe lid or foil. Bake at 400F for 18 minutes. Check the couscous for doneness, adding 5-10 minutes as needed. My couscous is typically done in under 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, dice the halloumi into ½-inch cubes. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with red pepper flakes (optional). Toss to combine.
Remove the couscous bake from the oven, stir, and top with the halloumi. Return to the oven to brown the halloumi for 15 minutes. It won't be crispy, just hot and golden at the edges.
Cassidy's tips
- The peppers and shallots are adequately broiled when the skin starts to blacken.
- Cut the shallots thickly, just 3-4 pieces, so avoid fully burned pieces.
- Don't broil the peppers and shallots in a casserole dish, as glass may crack under a broiler! Use a sheet pan instead.
- I roast/broil the peppers in my oven's broiling drawer, which I've found is quicker than a typical top-of-the-oven broiler. Just keep an eye on the peppers and shallots, as they'll go from almost done to very blackened in seconds.
- If you're dairy-free or looking for a lower-budget meal, the halloumi can be omitted. To keep the higher protein aspect, just add a can of (drained and rinsed) white beans or double the chickpeas.
Recipe
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Couscous Bake with Roasted Red Peppers and Halloumi
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium shallots
- 2 large red bell peppers
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 large lemon juiced and zested
- ¼ cup roughly chopped garlic 5-6 cloves
- 1 large tomato cored and diced; or 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, drained
- ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped oregano
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped mint leaves or basil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
- 8 ounce block halloumi
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes adjust to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven broiler. Slice each shallot into 3-4 thick pieces. Slice the red peppers into 1-inch pieces. Spread out on a sheet pan.
- Place in a preheated broiler drawer or on the topmost oven shelf, depending on your oven. Broil until blackened in places. This will take 5-15 minutes depending on the strength of your oven. Keep an eye on the peppers as they broil, as they burn quickly.
- Adjust the oven temperature to 400F. In a 9x13-inch baking dish, combine the couscous, vegetable broth, chickpeas, lemon juice, roughly chopped garlic, diced tomato, half of the fresh herbs, cumin, and salt. Stir in the roasted red pepper and shallot.
- Cover tightly with an oven-safe lid or foil. Bake at 400F for 18 minutes. Check the couscous for doneness, adding 5-10 minutes as needed. My couscous is typically done in under 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the halloumi into ½-inch cubes. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with red pepper flakes (optional) and lemon zest. Toss to combine.
- Remove the couscous bake from the oven, stir, and top with the halloumi. Return to the oven, uncovered, to brown the halloumi for 15 minutes. It won't be crispy, just hot and golden at the edges.
- Garnish with the remaining fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Notes
- No broiler? Use a 12 to 16-ounce jar of roasted red peppers instead. Drain and tear or slice them into 1-inch pieces. The flavor is different than freshly roasted red peppers, but it's still a good swap. I recommend slicing the shallot thinly and adding straight to the bake.
- For more spice, add 1-2 tablespoons of chopped Calabrian chilis in oil or add red pepper flakes directly to the bake.
- Salt: Halloumi is a salty ingredient. If watching your salt intake, choose no-salt-added or reduced sodium chickpeas and reduced sodium vegetable broth.
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