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A bowl of couscous made in the Instant Pot.
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Instant Pot Couscous

Fresh and delicious, with a hint of tangy zestiness, you’ll love this Instant Pot Couscous. It’s an easy but healthy side dish that pairs with pretty much everything!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 495kcal

Equipment

  • Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Turn on the sauté function on the Instant Pot and add the olive oil.
  • Add the couscous and shallot and sauté for 2-3 minutes (stirring occasionally), until the shallot is softened.
  • Stir in the cinnamon, lemon zest, salt and broth.
  • Turn the sauté function off and set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for 5 minutes on high.
  • Use the quick release to release the pressure.
  • Stir in the pine nuts, raisins, lemon juice and parsley and serve with extra lemons on the side.

How to Toast Pine Nuts

  • Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the pine nuts. Toast for 2-4 minutes, until a light golden brown. Be sure to toss them regularly to prevent burning.

Notes

  1. Use homemade chicken stock for the best flavor.
  2. If you choose to use a store bought broth with salt in it, reduce the salt to ½ teaspoon then adjust to taste at the end.
  3. Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock to make this recipe vegan.
  4. When you sauté the couscous with the shallots, it helps give the couscous a toastier nuttier flavor to it so don't skip it.
  5. You might find tri-colored couscous in the store, they taste no different than the plain colored couscous.
  6. Uncooked couscous keeps like pasta in the pantry, making them a great ingredient to stock your pantry with for last minute quick meals.
  7. Golden raisins can be used in place of regular raisins.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cups | Calories: 495kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1226mg | Potassium: 537mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 635IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg