9+ Israeli Couscous Recipes You SERIOUSLY Must Try - Foodess (2024)

FAQs

How much does 1 cup of Israeli couscous make? ›

You can find Israeli couscous near the boxed couscous in the grocery store. Cook your Israeli couscous according to package directions. 1 cup dry makes 1½ cups cooked couscous. Make sure to keep any eye on the couscous as it's cooking because it tends to cook up quicker than the package says, at least in my case.

Depending upon where you are in the world, you might recognize this particular type of couscous as Maftoul, Ptitim, Israeli Couscous, or Pearl Couscous. It's larger in size (similar to a pearl) than the much smaller Moroccan couscous, nutty, and a bit chewy but just as versatile.

Could Increase Blood Sugar Levels. Though couscous contains limited amounts of blood-sugar-lowering protein, it's fairly high in carbs, with 36 grams per cup (157 grams) (1). Those with blood sugar issues or diabetes should be cautious when consuming moderate- to high-carb foods.

Couscous has a nutritional profile similar to white pasta, high in carbohydrates without other health benefits such as fiber or protein content. If you are looking to enjoy food with a higher carbohydrate content, there isn't much difference between choosing pasta or couscous.

A healthier alternative to white rice

Couscous provides more protein and a greater contribution of vitamins and minerals than the equivalent portion of white rice.

Israeli couscous is also known as pearl couscous, p'titim, and giant couscous. It was first made in Israel in the 1950s as a substitute for rice, which was in short supply. Pearl couscous is made by mixing together semolina or wheat flour with water.

Whole-grain couscous is a good source of fiber. Fiber is good for you in a lot of ways. It can stop your blood sugar from spiking and can keep you fuller longer. It also can help lower cholesterol, which can reduce your chances of heart disease.

Where orzo looks long and shaped like rice, couscous comes in round ball form, often very small. For a larger couscous that is closer in size to orzo, Israeli couscous is a good substitute.

Compared to couscous, quinoa has stronger anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. With 7 percent fewer calories per 100 grams of cooked couscous than quinoa, it is healthier for weight loss. Every 100 grams of cooked quinoa has 120 calories. Every 100 grams of cooked couscous has 112 calories.

As I mentioned, couscous is a gluten-containing pasta, so anyone with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity should steer clear. Couscous may also cause unwanted spikes in blood sugar and should be eaten with caution by people with diabetes symptoms.

Is couscous inflammatory? ›

Rich in selenium – One cup of couscous will provide about 60 percent of the selenium you need per day to stay healthy. This powerful antioxidant helps to reduce inflammation and repair cells that may be damaged.

Couscous has a nutrition profile comparable to other grains, such as pasta and rice. It contains protein and some fibre, but it's mainly made up of processed carbs. Indeed, since it's so highly processed, much of the fibre is removed.

Couscous is a wonderful recovery meal since it has more protein than potatoes or rice and its carbohydrate and protein balance hits the ideal 4:1 carbohydrate:protein recovery ratio.

Semolina is the coarsely ground meal from durum wheat, the hard wheat grown greatly in the Middle East. Couscous is, essentially, pasta. (There is no grain called couscous!) It is made from semolina flour and water.

Whole Wheat Pearl Couscous

A whole wheat version of traditional pearl couscous, this variety is a delicious way to bring the nutrition of whole grains to your dinner table. Plus, this couscous's light, fluffy texture and nutty flavor make it easy to enjoy with just about everything.

1 cup of dry couscous will give you about 2 to 2 ½ cups of cooked couscous, which should generously feed 4 people (you should budget ⅓ cup to ½ cup per person).

You want to have around 60g of couscous per person. Only boiling water is needed to cook your couscous, but the important bit is the couscous to water ratio, you should abide by the 1:1 rule. So, for 60g of couscous, you will need 60ml of boiling water.

Calorie Content

Israeli couscous is made with whole-wheat or white flour, the latter being the more common and traditional variety. The calorie content in the original Israeli couscous is 180 grams in a 1/3-cup serving. For the whole-wheat Israeli couscous, the calorie count drops to 170 grams in a 1/3-cup serving.

You'll want to figure out how many people you need to serve and then you'll know how much couscous to make. I usually figure about 1/4 to 1/3 cup dry couscous per serving. For my family of 4, I use 1 to 1 1/2 cups dry couscous.