Last Updated on April 1, 2019 by Chef Mireille
This Sausage, Cauliflower and Red Bean Couscous Pilaf is the perfect #onepotdish, utilizing nutrient rich orange cauliflower.
Do you ever have those lazy days when you come home and you just want to throw some things into a pot and cook, without having to do all that chopping? I wish I had a live in prep cook! Well, that is how this recipe was born – out of pure laziness.
Sometimes I look at the pre chopped vegetables at the supermarket and I marvel at people buying it when it is much more budget friendly to buy the whole vegetable and cut it yourself. However, I have those days when I realize why they are so popular. Sometimes the thought of standing there chopping stuff after working is just more energy than I can muster up. I usually indulge in this guilty pleasure of buying pre cut vegetables when I’m really tired after working 8-10 hours on my feet. It’s really a bad time to go to the supermarket! The heart rather than the wallet rules my choices! Anyway, I had some pre sliced cole slaw mix (red cabbage, green cabbage, carrots) along with some other odds and ends that went into creating this easy one pot dish.
This is a very customizable recipe. Use whatever veggies you have lying about. Use your favorite spice blend mix! Use your favorite bean/lentil and create your own version of this easy schmeezy pilaf!
It’s cauliflower season here in the northeastern United States. Cauliflowers are everywhere and especially at the farmer’s markets. Not just the ordinary white cauliflower, but green Romaneso as well as orange and purple cauliflower. I’ve used these colorful cauliflowers before in recipes such as:
Not only pretty to look at, but they are also higher in nutritional value as most foods with color are. The orange cauliflower has 25% more Vitamin A and loaded with beta carotene, more than the white variety.
This started off as a lentil side dish, but as I started adding little pieces of bits and bobs I had in the refrigerator, it turned into the perfect #onepotmeal
How to Make Couscous Pilaf
I recently had a mini vacation in Savannah. If you are a foodie, this town should definitely be on your Bucket List. Not only are there so many great restaurants to enjoy for every budget, but it’s a cook’s paradise. For such a small city, they have 3 spice markets full of spice blends, infused sugars and salts as well as your basic herbs and spices. I will soon be doing a blog post about my trip. Until then, if you do make it to Savannah make sure to visit The Spice & Tea Exchange. In this recipe, I used their Island Sweet Spice Blend (brown and yellow mustard, coconut powder, sumac, turbinado sugar, vanilla sugar, dill, rose petals, orange zest)
Since the summer temperatures don’t seem to want to leave us, this is the perfect dish to keep your time in the kitchen short!
Sausage & Cauliflower Couscous Pilaf
Ingredients
- 2 cups medium coarse couscous
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 chicken sausage links
- 3 cups chopped orange cauliflower
- 2 cups cole slaw blend
- 15.5 oz. can small red beans drained
- 1 tablespoon spice blend
- salt to taste
- hot sauce optional
Instructions
- Place couscous in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Drain.
- In a deep skillet, heat oil.
- Add sausage and saute until browned.
- Add cauliflower and cole slaw. Add 3 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes until cauliflower is cooked but still crisp tender.
- Add beans, couscous and spice blend. Mix to combine and cook until beans are heated through.
- Add salt and optional hot sauce. Mix to combine.
Nutrition
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Yes I can imagine having one of those days, where I wished my family ate the same dish..lol..makes life so much easier..those prechopped ones are popular around here as well..while I never saw the benefit of that in terms of nutrition, I realised the shopkeepers do that to save spoilt ones sometimes..so it’s so risky as well!..this pilaf surely sounds interesting for a lazy dinner..
Actually here it is very fresh made with fresh produce not sub standard so nutrition isn’t the issue. It is standard fare not only if they have extras but it is just they are so much more expensive.
I remember the first time I saw colored cauliflowers 4 years in Montreal, I couldn’t believe my eyes as here we get only white ones. A healthy quick one pot meal, of course I’d not add the sausage.
yes – we are so lucky for the variety of produce we get here in the US especially in NYC with its global population
I normally do not buy the chopped veggies here in India , but while we are out of the country I get extravagant ! Those veggies are a boon .
Btw the pilaf looks lovely and even I have a similar red bowl .
thanks – the bowl is a new acquisition I really liked the shape!
It happens to me most of the time… I would never like to buy anything prepackaged but with the way life is getting, I now buy half cooked chapathis and freeze them so that I don’t have to make them, same is the case with precut vegetables and chicken! That’s a nice dish, especially since couscous is something that gets done in a nick of time…
stores make it so convenient right!
Yes, there are many days, when I do not want to chop veggies and want those pre cut ones but somehow I feel it is not so fresh, so end up chopping it all by myself. The pilaf looks super.
here they are very fresh but due to the higher cost I find it is being lazy 🙂
Those pre-cut veggies sounds good after a long day at work. BTW, I love the red bowl, unique shape.
Quick and healthy one pot meal.. Love it for the flavors 🙂
Wow Mir! you have made such a versatile dish. More so, you have suggested various options too. Cauliflower on the pilaf look so good with contrasting color.
Seriously am gonna try this pilaf very soon. Looking for some couscous based dishes and this pilaf is definitely a prefect dish to make soon.
Here they charge you extra and pack up substandard veggies. Must remember to share the pics when I do look in the section. There is no point complaining.
This is a delicious pilaf. Must try.
we are lucky at least our are fresh
Laziness brings the best out of us at times. I am so happy that you still chose to cook at home rather than taking out or going out to eat. The dish sure is filling and comforting after a long day.
I try but sometimes I still resort to take out 🙂
I have been thinking to add couscous in my dishes for quite sometime, but unable to dare to cook. Wondering how it tastes. This dish surely looks delicious and filling.
its similar to rise. You should try it – such a time saver
Looks delicious Mir! Quick meals are such a blessing , I love couscous for that and it tastes good with simple spices!
yes with couscous dinner can be ready in no time at all
thats a proteinicious dish ! and loved the presentation !
thanks – yes it is a healthy protein filled one pot dish