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Roasted vegetable couscous in a bowl with a black spoon resting in it.

Roasted Vegetable Couscous Recipe

5 from 2 votes
This roasted vegetable couscous recipe has been our weeknight favorite for nearly 10 years! It's easy, comforting, and full of flavor with roasted veggies, a bright lemon vinaigrette, and creamy goat cheese.
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Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:30 minutes
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Easy, Healthy
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Roasted Vegetables

  • 1 red onion large diced
  • 1 red bell pepper large diced
  • 1 yellow squash quartered lengthwise & sliced into ¼ inch thick pieces (2 cups)
  • 3 cups broccoli chopped into 1.5 inch florets
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 oz crumbled goat cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Couscous

  • 8 oz pearl couscous about 1 ⅓ cups dry
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 ¾ cups water

Lemon Vinaigrette

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper

Instructions

Roast the Veggies

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, mix the veggies, olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until the vegetables are fully coated.
    1 yellow squash, 3 cups broccoli, 1 red onion, 1 red bell pepper, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tbsp olive oil, Salt and pepper to taste
  • Roast the vegetables for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing them halfway through to ensure even roasting and maximum toastiness. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Cook the Couscous

  • While the vegetables roast, cook the couscous according to package directions. To do that, first toast 8 ounces (about 1 ⅓ cups) of dry couscous in about 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium pot for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the grains get slightly golden in color.
    8 oz pearl couscous, 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Add 1 ¾ cups of boiling water to the pot of couscous.
    1 ¾ cups water
  • Bring the water in the pot with the couscous back to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pot, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. 
  • Remove the cover, take the couscous off the heat, and fluff it with a fork.

Make the Vinaigrette

  • Add the olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, spicy brown mustard, and salt and pepper to a jar or other container with a lid.
    ¼ cup lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp spicy brown mustard, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper
  • Cover the container with the lid and shake the dressing until the oil and lemon juice are fully blended together and don’t separate (this means it’s emulsified).

Bring it All Together

  • Add the cooked couscous and the roasted vegetables to a large serving bowl.
  • Mix in the crumbled goat cheese. It’ll melt a little and add some creaminess to the dish when it’s mixed with the warm couscous and vegetables.
    4 oz crumbled goat cheese
  • Add the vinaigrette (it may seem like a lot at first, but the couscous will soak it all up quickly) and mix everything to combine.