Couscous with butternut squash will surprise you and your whole family with its rich, sweet and nutty flavours.
Couscous is a very popular ingredient in northern Africa and surrounding areas. I have always shied away from it but once I gave it a try I learned two very important things.
- It’s so incredibly easy to cook. I can’t believe I haven’t had this as a pantry stable all along.
- It’s so tasty and versatile. I feel like I can really stretch myself with this ingredient in terms of creativity.
Couscous is often thought to be a grain but it technically belongs to the pasta category. At least the varieties in north america are made from semolina flour and water.
Give this ingredient a try and you’ll see just how easy it is to build into your regular menu.
Preparing Couscous with Butternut Squash
Ingredients
Couscous: Couscous is made from durum wheat semolina and is a staple food throughout Northern Africa. There are three different varieties of couscous, each differing in size. For this recipe choose what is readily available, or, if you have options, pick your favourite.
Olive Oil: Olive oil is the fat extracted from olives. The least processed is extra virgin olive oil, which I use in this recipe. It helps coat the couscous and prevents it from clumping together.
Butternut squash: A type of winter squash that grows on a vine, with a bright yellowy-orange flesh that is slightly sweet and similar to pumpkin. It is rich in vitamin A, potassium and fiber making it a very healthy addition to any meal.
Butter: Unsalted butter adds a delicious flavour base when slightly browned. It adds fat to the glaze and helps coat the squash.
Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is a mixture of white sugar and molasses. Molasses is responsible for the darker colour. We use dark brown sugar for this recipe but any brown sugar will do.
Maple syrup: Maple syrup is made from the sap of various maple trees. It contains manganese and vitamin B and is a great complement to butternut squash.
Salad topper: This is a simple mix of roasted sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries. Cranberries are a secret ingredient in this dish. Both their flavour and texture really elevate the couscous.
G&K lemon dressing: A simple mix of lemon, oil and garlic, this dressing adds the perfect freshness to this dish. The balance of sweet and sour here is just perfect.
How to Make Couscous with Butternut Squash
I highly recommend using frozen squash as that cuts the timing and messiness of this recipe by about 10 minutes. And who doesn’t love to save time?
If you are using fresh butternut squash, start with prepping it. Cut it in half, I like to do this widthwise, then trim off the outer skin. Cute the bottom part, the more bulbous part, in half, length-wise this time, and remove all the guts and seeds.
Once left with only the flesh, chop it into 1-inch cubes. If you’re serving little ones
you can cut it even smaller.Now add half the oil to a pan on warm on medium-high heat. Once melted, add the butternut squash and sauté until it is cooked through. The texture should be soft when pierced with a fork.
Stir the squash frequently to prevent burning.
While the butternut squash sautés, cook the couscous. It is super simple to cook and takes very little time.
Add the couscous, water, salt and remaining oil to a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat, remove the pan from the burner and let sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the lid and fluff the couscous with a fork.
Next, in a small bowl mix together butter, brown sugar and maple syrup.
Once the butternut squash is cooked through, pour this mixture over it in the pan and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. The sugar will begin to stiffen and will become sticky.
If you don’t have any G&K lemon dressing. on hand, make it now.
Place the couscous on a plate, top with the glazed butternut squash, salad topper and lemon dressing.
Substitutions
Couscous: The couscous is the star of this dish however if you can’t have gluten or simply can’t find couscous in your local grocery store quinoa is a great substitute. Though quinoa is much more flavourful than couscous, its nutty flavour pairs beautifully with the sweet butternut squash.
Salad Topper: You can get the individual ingredients separately instead of getting Salad Topper. If you don’t like or have dried cranberries you can use raisins instead, or skip them altogether.
G&K lemon dressing: Our maple Dijon dressing is also a fantastic choice for this side dish. The tartness and acidity of the dressing are well balanced but the sweetness of the butternut squash.
Serving Couscous with Butternut Squash
This side dish is slightly sweet and goes well with chicken dishes like our yogurt marinated chicken or beer can chicken.
I also enjoy this side all on its own for lunch or as a healthy snack.
Tip: Cook extra glazed butternut squash and use the leftovers for lunch. Add some spinach and fresh veggies and it makes a fantastic addition to a curry quinoa bowl.
Serving Couscous with Butternut Squash to Picky Eaters
If you are serving toddlers who aren’t always too keen to try new things, try serving this dish deconstructed. Put the couscous and butternut squash separately on their plate and let them sprinkle the salad topper wherever they like. If they choose to try the dressing, let them pour it over the couscous themselves.
We often serve salad topper in a small ramekin on the side with most meals so I don’t change that for this dish. Sometimes they choose to sprinkle it on top and other times they skip it altogether.
Check out some other sides:
Couscous with Butternut Squash Recipe
Equipment
- Small pot
- Small pan
- small bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup couscous
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tbsp oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup butternut squash cubed fresh or frozen
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 1 tbsp salad topper
- 1 tbsp G&K lemon dressing
Instructions
- If you are using fresh butternut squash, start by chopping it into 1-inch cubes. Cut the butternut squash in half, cut off the outer skin and remove the seeds from the inside. Then chop the flesh into cubes.½ cup butternut squash cubed
- Next, add 1 tablespoon of oil to a pan and warm up on medium-high heat. Once heated add the squash cubes and sauté until cooked through. This can take 8 to 10 minutes, or longer if you are using frozen squash. You want the texture to be soft when pierced with a fork.2 tbsp oil, ½ cup butternut squash cubed
- While the squash is sauteing, cook the couscous. Add the couscous, water, oil and salt to a pot. Bring to a boil then take off the heat, cover and let rest for 5 minutes.½ cup couscous, ¾ cup water, 2 tbsp oil, ¼ tsp salt
- Next, combine the butter sugar and maple syrup in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is smooth.1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp maple syrup
- Pour it over the squash and stir until the squash is fully coated. Continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes stirring constantly. Cook until the sugar mixture begins to thicken.
- Fluff the couscous with a fork and place it on a plate (or in a bowl). Top the couscous with the glazed butternut squash, salad topper and the maple Dijon dressing.1 tbsp salad topper, 1 tbsp G&K lemon dressing
Video
Nutrition
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