Balsamic soaked mushrooms, sweet onions, ribbons of kale and creamy goat cheese make balsamic mushroom pearl couscous one of our favorite easy side dishes! Vegetarian. 
Have I told you how much I loveee pasta?
Pearl couscous looks and tastes like a tiny round noodle. Except, it’s larger than regular couscous and has a chewier consistency that reminds me of pasta.
Want to know the best part? It only takes 25 minutes to make!
How to Make Balsamic Mushroom Pearl Couscous
Start by prepping all your veggies. Slice the mushrooms (don’t throw out the stems, slice em’ up and throw them into the pan too), dice the onion and thinly slice the kale into ribbons. Over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes in a large sauté pan. In a separate pot, cook the couscous according to package directions.
Add the mushrooms to the large saute pan, cook for 5 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir the mushrooms. The mushrooms are going to soak up all that balsamic vinegar and be super tangy and juicy. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook another 5 minutes or until all the balsamic vinegar has been soaked up.
When the couscous is done cooking, add olive oil to prevent the couscous from sticking together and add it to the pan with the mushrooms and onions. Add the red wine vinegar, 2 T of balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste. Add the thinly sliced kale and crumbled goat cheese. Stir to combine until the goat cheese is starting to melt and swirled throughout the couscous.
Drizzle balsamic glaze over the top and extra goat cheese if you like.
Travis and I both loved this balsamic mushroom pearl couscous. It’s easy to make, quick to assemble, and loaded with flavor. It’s a super simple side dish that goes perfectly with so many different meals.
Other side dishes You Might Like
Twice baked sweet potatoes with balsamic onions & goat cheese
Roasted beet & onion salad with feta cheese
Creamy cauliflower spinach pearl couscous
Dairy-free cashew cream broccoli salad
If you’ve tried this Balsamic Mushroom Pearl Couscous or any other recipe on the blog, please remember to rate the recipe and let me know what you thought of it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious vegan recipes + our monthly trips to Disney World!
Balsamic Mushroom Pearl Couscous
Ingredients
- 3 cups pearl couscous, uncooked
- 1 + 1 Tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups kale, thinly sliced
- 2 + 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (divided)
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2oz goat cheese
- 2 Tbsp balsamic glaze to drizzle on top
- Sea salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions to the pan, cook for 5-8 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the sliced mushrooms, cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar. Stir and saute for another 5 minutes or until the mushrooms have absorbed all the balsamic vinegar.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, cook the pearl couscous according to package directions in a separate pan. When the couscous is done add it to the large pan with the mushrooms and onions. Stir to combine.
- Add the remaining 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar, pepper and salt to taste.
- Add the goat cheese and kale right before you serve so the cheese just starts to melt and the kale is slightly wilted. Drizzle balsamic glaze over the top & enjoy!
