Couscous Bake with Roasted Red Peppers and Halloumi
The dump & bake couscous is seasoned with fresh herbs, lemon juice, and broiled peppers and shallots. See notes for options if you don't have a broiler.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 506kcal
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 506kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 1136mg | Potassium: 617mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 3291IU | Vitamin C: 132mg | Calcium: 647mg | Iron: 3mg
