Zucchini and Black Bean Couscous – Easy Weeknight Meal Idea!
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This recipe for zucchini and black bean couscous is a family favorite that’s healthy and easy to prepare! It’s great for busy weeknights and can easily be customized depending on the ingredients in your pantry. And even better, you can reuse the couscous pot to make this a one-pot meal, so there are less dishes!
Why I Love Couscous!
I always keep couscous in the house for a quick dinner because it is so easy to prepare. All you really have to do is boil water, add in couscous, take the pan off the heat, and cover. Then just let it sit for 5 or so minutes (no stirring even!) That’s it. When you open up the top of the couscous pot, it’s all fluffy and ready to be eaten.
I like to throw whatever I have in the pantry or fridge in with the couscous to make an easy, fast, and fairly healthy meal. While not gourmet and the most deluxe meal I’ve ever made, sometimes I’m looking for something homemade that doesn’t take a lot of effort or make a lot of dishes.
Customizing this Couscous Recipe
The beauty of this couscous recipe is you can add a lot of variety to it, and it will still taste great! If you don’t have zucchini in the fridge, throw in some yellow squash. Have an extra can of corn on hand? Throw that in too! If you like black beans, double the black beans and throw in a can of pinto beans while you’re at it.
My idea of a good recipe is something that’s very flexible and also something that really doesn’t need to be followed perfectly. That’s what’s easiest for busy weeknights when I’m trying to watch the kids and cook at the same time!
Here’s How to Make Zucchini and Black Bean Couscous
Gather Your Ingredients:
You’ll want to have these items on hand:
- Couscous (2 cups uncooked, makes around 4 cups cooked)
- 1 Tb butter
- 3 small zucchini, chopped, for a total of around 3.5 cups
- 1 can of diced tomatoes and green chilies (I used the Kroger version of Rotel)
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Black Bean and Zucchini Couscous Cooking Directions
First, cook the couscous according to package directions. The 2 cups of uncooked couscous ended up making around 4 cups of cooked couscous for me. This may be different for you depending on the brand of couscous you get. So just adjust accordingly.
Meanwhile, melt 1 Tb butter in a large pan over medium heat.
Add chopped zucchini and cook until tender and crisp. This took around 3 minutes for me.
Add in the diced tomatoes and green chilies can as well as the rinsed black beans. Stir, and cook until warmed through.
After everything’s nice and hot, stir in the cooked couscous and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. We typically follow a pretty low-sodium diet in our family, so we rarely salt anything.
Lastly, remove from heat and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. To me, this gives the black bean couscous dish that great, rich, cheesy taste! After it sits for a while off the burner, the cheese will melt and start to be stringy. Oh so good!
While it still tastes decent when chilled, I recommend serving it warm. It can also be kept in the fridge for around three days before the zucchini starts to become less than desirable.
Enjoy your zucchini and black bean couscous! And if you’re looking for more easy weeknight meals, check our all our easy weeknight meal ideas. It’s our collection of easy meals to help busy moms get tasty and healthy dinners on the table fast!
Zucchini and Black Bean Couscous
Ingredients
- 2 cups couscous uncooked
- 1 Tb butter
- 3 small zucchini, chopped (about 3.5 cups)
- 1 can Rotel drained
- 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (the real stuff is better than the powdered!)
Instructions
- Cook couscous according to package directions, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt 1 Tb butter in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add zucchini and cook until tender and crisp. This took around 3 minutes for me.
- Add Rotel and black beans. Stir, and cook until warmed through.
- Stir in cooked couscous and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Remove from heat and let cheese melt.