This delicious balsamic-flavored vegetarian couscous features sauteed mushrooms, sweet onions, ribbons of kale, creamy goat cheese, and pearl couscous drizzled with tangy balsamic vinegar glaze. This side dish is easy to make and ready in 30 minutes!
First, cook the pearl couscous in a pot according to package instructions.
While the couscous is cooking, saute the onions in 3-4 tbsp vegetable broth in a large pan until they’re soft and translucent. Next, add the minced garlic and sliced mushrooms to the pan, let it cook until the mushrooms are soft and lightly browned.
Pour the cooked couscous into the large pan with the vegetables and stir to combine. Add ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper to the couscous and mix it in until the balsamic vinegar has been evenly distributed. The couscous should soak most of it up.
Add the thinly sliced kale and crumbled goat cheese to the pan. Stir to combine until the cheese starts to melt and it’s swirled throughout the couscous.
Garnish with 2 tbsp balsamic glaze before serving.
Notes
To make this recipe gluten-free, you need to substitute quinoa, rice, or gluten-free pasta for the Israeli couscous.
To stop the couscous from sticking, you can drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the cooked pasta after you drain the water. Stir to coat the noodles with a light layer of oil.
To make this side dish a substantial main course, mix in (1) 14 oz can of rinsed and drained chickpeas or great northern beans for extra plant-based protein.
Wait to stir the kale and cheese in until the end so the kale stays bright green and the goat cheese is only slightly melted. You should be able to see little pockets of cheese throughout the dish.
Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.