Couscous Vegetable Soup

This Couscous Soup is a hearty and healthy vegetarian soup that features four different kinds of vegetables, chickpeas, and pearl couscous. It's easy to make in one pot and filled with rich and warming flavors from harissa, cumin, and ginger.

If you're looking for a new veggie-packed soup recipe to add to your rotation, this Vegetarian Couscous Soup is it! It features four different vegetables, a hearty tomato and harissa base, and a handful of warming spices like cumin and paprika.

This couscous soup is straightforward, nourishing, and requires just over 30 minutes to make. Just like my vegetarian tortellini soup, it has a rich tomato-based broth and is made extra-satisfying with pasta.

What you need

• Pearl couscous: Not to be confused with couscous, pearl couscous is a chewy pearl-shaped grain with a texture similar to pasta. It is available at most grocery stores next to lentils and other grains.
• Chickpeas: One can of chickpeas yields about 1 ½ cups of chickpeas. You can also use chickpeas cooked from dry.
• Kale: Thinly slice about half a bunch of curly kale. Dinosaur (lacinato) kale also works here.
• Harissa: This is a North African red chile paste that adds depth and a hint of spice to the couscous soup. It is available in spicy and mild varieties; choose based on spice preference. It is available at most grocery stores in the International foods section.
• Ginger and garlic: I recommend sticking to fresh ginger and garlic for the most potent flavor. I use a microplane to grate the ginger and garlic into a fine paste.
• Carrots, onion, and peppers bulk up the soup and make it more filling. I recommend sweet yellow onion and red pepper. These varieties add a touch of sweetness to the soup.
• Cumin and paprika add depth to the couscous soup, while just a pinch or two of cinnamon adds warmth.
• Can of diced tomatoes and vegetable broth: This is the base that the couscous cooks in. I recommend vegetable bouillon combined with water for the most flavorful base.

Step by step instructions

Equipment note: I recommend using at least a 4-quart or larger pot or Dutch oven for couscous soup.

1. Image one: Start by heating the Dutch oven/soup pot over medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil. Once hot, add in the diced onion, carrot, peppers, and salt. Cook until the onion is softened and turning golden at the edges, about 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Image two: Stir in the finely shredded kale, harissa, garlic, ginger, cumin, and paprika. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes, until the kale is wilted and vivid green and the ginger and garlic are aromatic. Stir frequently to avoid burning.
3. Image three: Pour in the vegetable broth, can of tomatoes, and chickpeas. Bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat.
4. Image four: Add the pearl couscous to the simmering soup. Cook at medium-high heat until the couscous is tender, just about 6 to 8 minutes. Couscous cooks very quickly.
5. Step five (pictured below): Reduce heat to low. Stir in lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper. Taste for seasonings.

Expert tips and tricks

• Kale cook time: Kale is added to the couscous soup at the beginning so that it is very tender instead of chewy, similar to collard greens. For vivid and chewy kale, add it to the soup at the same time as the lemon juice.
• Harissa alternative: While I recommend including harissa in couscous soup because it is a main ingredient, it may be tricky to find at smaller grocery stores. An equal amount of chili garlic sauce is a great substitute. Note that chili garlic sauce spice levels vary widely by brand!
• Use high-quality vegetable broth to create a flavorful broth. I recommend Better than Bouillon vegetable base because it is budget-friendly and very flavorful.
• Adjust salt to taste: While I recommend this for every recipe, this is especially true if you are using something other than Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, which is what I test all of my recipes with. If using table salt, you may need to add less salt to achieve the best flavor, because kosher salt is less dense.

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5 from 1 vote

Vegetarian Couscous Soup

This Couscous Soup is a hearty and healthy vegetarian soup that features four different kinds of vegetables and pearl couscous. It's easy to make in one pot and filled with rich and warming flavors from harissa, cumin, and ginger.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Servings: 5 servings

Author: Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD

• microplane optional
• Dutch Oven 4-quart or larger

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or another neutral oil
• ▢ 1 medium red bell pepper diced
• ▢ 1 small sweet yellow onion finely diced
• ▢ 2 whole carrots roughly chopped
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
• ▢ 4 ounces finely shredded kale about 4 cups
• ▢ 3 tablesopons harissa see note #1
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic grated into a paste
• ▢ 1 inch ginger grated into a paste
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 5 cups vegetable broth see note #3
• ▢ 1 (14.5) ounce can diced tomatoes
• ▢ 1 (15) ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 1 cup pearl couscous see note #4
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice from ~1 small lemon
• ▢ freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Start by heating a 4-quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil. Once hot, add in the diced pepper, onion, carrot, and salt. Cook until the onion is softened and turning golden at the edges, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• Stir in the finely shredded kale, harissa, garlic, ginger, cumin, and paprika. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes, until the kale is wilted and vivid green and the ginger and garlic are aromatic. Stir frequently to avoid burning.
• Pour in the vegetable broth, can of tomatoes, chickpeas, and cinnamon. Bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat.
• Once simmering, stir in the pearl couscous. Cook at medium-high heat until the couscous is tender, just about 6 to 8 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low. Stir in lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper. Taste for seasonings and salt. Enjoy!

Notes

1. Harissa: Available at most large grocery stores in the International aisle. Choose mild or spicy based on personal preference. If unable to find harissa, an equal amount of chili garlic sauce is a good substitute; note that chili garlic sauce spiciness varies widely by brand.
2. Ginger and garlic: I recommend using fresh ginger and garlic. I use a microplane or the smallest holes on a box grater to grate ginger and garlic to a paste, which allows it to distribute in the soup more evenly.
3. Pearl couscous is not the same as couscous. I do not recommend using regular couscous in this recipe as it requires a different cook time and has a very different texture.
4. Vegetable broth: For the most flavorful and cost-effective vegetable broth, I recommend vegetable bouillon dissolved in water. Better than Bouillon vegetable base is my favorite.
5. Kale cook time: Kale is added to the soup at the beginning so that it is tender instead of chewy. For vivid and chewy kale, add it to the soup at the same time as the lemon juice.
6. Leftovers: Best within 3 to 4 days. Let the soup cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 308kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 12gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 642mgPotassium: 603mgFiber: 10gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 3404IUVitamin C: 66mgCalcium: 151mgIron: 4mg