Sometimes simple meals are the best. You know the kind – they’re the meals you make out of a random assortment of ingredients gathered from your fridge and pantry. I recently bought some gorgeous Israeli Couscous Mix from Trader Joe’s and was dying to try it out, especially since we grow so tired of the rotation of the same four grains: pasta, rice, couscous (fine grain), quinoa. This gorgeous pearl couscous was a welcome change, and we prepared it with melted earth balance butter, making it extra creamy and rich. 

As seen in my previous blog showcasing our beautiful Mac & Cheese, we had lots of fresh broccolini in the fridge waiting to be eaten, as well as an overabundance of baby carrots. I’ve been putting baby carrots in EVERYTHING (re: this colorful risotto) to try to use up the big bag we accidentally got in our grocery delivery service. When life throws you *ahem* carrots…add carrots to everything you cook! You get the picture – this meal was basically a way to use up the veggies that were staring at me in the fridge. But I’m happy to report it turned out pretty delicious.

For a protein source, I added a can of white (or cannellini) beans and decided to add some of our favorite warm spices. I really wanted to let the Israeli couscous shine by offering it flavorful liquid to absorb from the cooked beans + veggies. 

Prepare Israeli Couscous mix as instructed, cooking in veggie stock and a pat of dairy-free butter. Cook onion, garlic, and carrots in olive oil over medium high heat until softened. Add broccolini and salt and pepper, stirring frequently and reducing heat to medium low once broccolini turns bright green. Add can of beans and spices, stirring to distribute evenly, and a tablespoon or two of water if the pan is dry. Simmer on low for five to ten minutes allowing the spices to become aromatic, or until couscous is finished cooking. Drizzle with olive oil and fresh cracked pepper and salt to serve.

Serves 2