Recipe: $6.23 | Per Serving: $1.04 | Yield: 6
Lemon Feta Couscous is tangy, fast, and super delicious! With a few ingredients from Trader Joe’s, you can have this simple dinnertime dish ready in just about 10 minutes!
After doing all the appropriate adult things on our first day back in the states (SO MANY ADULT THINGS), we went directly to Trader Joe’s, one of my favorite stores ever. And with the goal of making something simple, with not too many ingredients, this Lemon Feta Couscous with Spinach was created. Luckily I’d already mostly planned it out prior to arriving in the U.S. because my jet-lagged brain was no help at all.
Guys, going to Trader Joe’s on about 4 hours of sleep after running errands for 5 hours and traveling halfway around the world the previous day is NOT a good experience. It was a new store for me so I didn’t know where anything was, and I couldn’t find my list (it was in my back pocket) so I was walking around in circles like an idiot.
I didn’t even get any chocolate. What’s wrong with me?
However, I’m stoked that despite my jetlagged brain, I successfully purchased everything needed for this recipe. Even if it took me an unreasonable length of time.
We’re rocking super fast whole wheat couscous, frozen spinach, jarred roasted red peppers, feta cheese, garbanzo beans, and a lemon.
True to my promise, this dish is incredibly simple. Couscous is super fast, and when you pick up a bunch of somewhat pre-prepped items from Trader Joe’s, it’s a one-stop, one-pot wonder.
The only thing that takes any time at all is rinsing and chopping the red peppers, and that takes about 5 minutes. It’s a super WIN for Easy Weeknight Meals! Sure, if you buy 4 for $1 bell peppers for homemade roasted red peppers, and make your beans from scratch, you can save even more money, but since this comes out to just over $1.00 per serving anyway, it’s awesome to have the more convenient option!
I recommend eating this warm – it’s much better that way. You can turn the stove on low to warm it up, but the couscous might stick to the bottom of the pan. Placing it (covered) in a warm oven, microwaving it, or warming it in your rice cooker are all somewhat easier options. Go on, save time with this budget-friendly dish. And then report back!
Paleo: Nope, not this time.
Vegetarian: Yep.
Lemon Feta Couscous With Spinach
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1.5 cups whole wheat couscous
- 2 cups frozen spinach
- 1.5 cups roasted red peppers, chopped or sliced
- 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 4 ounces feta cheese
- juice from half a lemon (about 1 Tablespoon)
- optional: red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring 1.5 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the couscous and spinach. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, rinse the roasted red peppers (if using jarred in vinegar) and slice. Drain & rinse the chickpeas. Crumble the feta.
- Add remaining ingredients (roasted red peppers, chickpeas, feta, lemon, and optional red pepper flakes) and stir well. Best served warm, but can also be served cold!
Notes
You can make your own roasted red peppers, or sub them out for sun-dried tomatoes (my favorite with feta!). And if you’re planning to eat this cold, like a salad, I recommend using fresh spinach instead of frozen.
To serve warm, you can defrost the spinach, or warm it in the microwave before adding to the couscous.
(P.S. – No, this isn’t endorsed by Trader Joe’s.)
