Grilled Veggies and Couscous with Orange-Balsamic Dressing {vegan}

Celebrate grilling season with these delicious grilled veggies, served over couscous with a sweet and tangy orange-balsamic dressing. 

It’s almost Fall here in Georgia, which means it’s perfect grilling weather. I love eating outside on the deck at this time of year – something we can’t do all that much during our blazingly hot Atlanta summers. These grilled veggies and couscous are my go-to recipe whenever we invite friends over to grill. It’s a great vegetarian (and vegan) meal all on its own, or it can be a side dish to whatever your non-veggie friends are cooking up. I’ve never once had any leftovers!

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup couscous
• 2 cups water
• ½ lb asparagus washed and trimmed
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 red onion
• 8 oz mushrooms (shiitake or baby portobello) washed and sliced
• 1 ½ cups orange juice
• ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 shallot peeled and minced
• salt
• black pepper
• olive oil
• cilantro for garnish

Instructions

• Bring water to a boil over medium heat, in a large pot. 
• Add a drizzle of olive oil and pinch of salt to the water.
  
• Add couscous to boiling water. Stir and cover pot. Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat.
• Add shallots and cook until slightly browned. 
• Add orange juice, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by about ⅓ (approximately 10 minutes). 
• Stir in 3 tbsp of the balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Preheat grill.
• Slice red bell peppers and onions into 1″ thick strips. 
• Combine all veggies in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and the remaining balsamic vinegar. Toss to coat. 
• Grill veggies in a large grill basket, until softened and slightly charred. Should take about 5-10 minutes. 
• Remove cover from couscous and use a fork to stir – it should result in a fluffy texture.
• Serve the grilled veggies over the couscous with a spoonful of orange-balsamic sauce.
• Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Nutrition