Roasted Vegetable Couscous with Feta Recipe

This roasted vegetable couscous is one of my favourite summer lunches, especially when I want something colourful that doesn’t feel like another boring salad.

It combines fluffy couscous with roasted peppers, aubergine, courgette and red onion, then adds salty feta, sweet pomegranate seeds, lemon and plenty of fresh mint and coriander.

I originally struggled to get homemade couscous to taste as good as the tubs I’d pick up from the supermarket salad aisle. Mine always seemed a little bland in comparison. This combination finally fixed that problem!

Roasting the vegetables makes a huge difference because they become sweeter and more intensely flavoured, while the feta and pomegranate give you those salty and sweet little bursts throughout.

It’s lovely served cold, so it’s perfect for preparing ahead for lunch, taking on a picnic or putting on the table alongside a barbecue.

If you want a quicker everyday version, try my easy vegetable couscous with lentils instead. That one takes around 20 minutes and uses finely chopped vegetables and lentils rather than roasted vegetables, feta and pomegranate.

Just Average Jen is an independent blog not connected with any weight loss plan. Please check nutritional values and/or syns/Swips yourself. Information correct at time of writing – always check official Slimming World materials for updates.

Why roast the vegetables?

You could simply cook the vegetables and stir them into couscous, but roasting them gives this particular recipe its flavour.

Peppers and red onions become sweeter, while aubergine and courgette soften and take on those lovely browned edges.

That’s why I wouldn’t skip the roasting step here.

If you specifically want something that doesn’t require roasting, make my vegetable and lentil couscous instead. The whole point of that recipe is speed; the whole point of this one is those lovely roasted vegetables.

What feta should I use?

Ordinary feta works beautifully because its salty flavour contrasts with the sweeter roasted vegetables and pomegranate.

Crumble it rather than chopping it too neatly. I much prefer having some tiny pieces mixed through the couscous and then suddenly finding a bigger chunk!

If you’re trying to reduce the calories, you can use less feta rather than necessarily buying a completely different product.

Goat’s cheese is another option if you like it, although it will change the flavour quite noticeably.

For a vegan roasted vegetable couscous, leave the feta out or use a plant-based alternative that you already know you enjoy.

Do I have to use pomegranate?

No. I absolutely love pomegranate seeds in this because their sweetness works brilliantly with salty feta, but I know they’re one of those ingredients people have very strong opinions about. Stuart isn’t keen, for example, so I’m well aware not everyone shares my enthusiasm!

Leave them out if you don’t like them.

You could add chopped dried apricots for a different little bit of sweetness, use some toasted nuts or seeds for crunch, or simply have the couscous without any replacement at all.

Can I serve roasted vegetable couscous cold?

Yes – I actually think this is one of those recipes that’s particularly good cold.

That makes it useful for packed lunches, picnics and BBQs because you’re not relying on being able to reheat it.

You can also prepare the components ahead and combine them when you’re ready to eat.

Just remember that cooked foods still need to be stored appropriately rather than being left sitting in the sunshine all afternoon at a barbecue. Delicious couscous is good. Questionable picnic food poisoning, less so.

Is this feta couscous good for weight loss?

If you follow Slimming World, Weight Watchers (WW), Noom or any other weight loss plan you can usually count the ingredients within this recipe in your allowances. It is of course important to check yourself any plan you follow and remember all nutritional information and ingredients are found in the recipe card below.

Why these ingredients are perfect

The saltiness from the feta cheese combined with the almost caramelised red onion, courgette, aubergine and pepper (I like to leave them a little longer than I feel comfortable doing so for) and the blend of herbs along with lemon juice mean I just keep on returning to this dish almost week after week.

This roasted vegetable couscous dish is so easy to prepare and cook. I tend to cook several portions at once to allow me something to grab for a quick easy lunch when I have a busy workday ahead!

My family often enjoy this as a side dish, too. It pairs nicely with chicken, beef or pork kebabs or, if you’re veggie like me, a butternut squash and sweet potato veggie burger. Of course, I usually pile up a green salad on the side of this as well for a more substantial evening meal.

Adaptions to the roasted vegetable couscous salad

It is really easy to adapt this recipe to include slightly different vegetables if you have some to use up or don’t want to spend much.

If you are not keen on any ingredients, particularly pomegranate seeds, they can easily be missed out. I absolutely love them but I know Stuart isn’t keen and they are a bit like marmite, you love or hate them!

For an alternative to feta cheese you could try another crumbly cheese, goats cheese works well, or perhaps some halved almonds?

Other recipes and articles you might like

If you like this vegetable couscous salad then why not try these other popular couscous recipes.

Mango couscous

Vegetable couscous

Is couscous healthy – how to use couscous

Cheap Slimming World meals on a budget

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