Mushroom Couscous with Tarragon and Fennel

This delicious mushroom couscous recipe features a couple of my favourite flavours for a fungi-filled side to include at your next barbecue or al fresco meal.

I like the additional step of dry-toasting the couscous in the pan, which gives it a slightly nutty flavour. However, this is optional and you can simply skip it if you want to save a bit of time.

If you're feeling like there just isn't enough vegan couscous in your life, check out these recipes for Mediterranean couscous salad, Moroccan-spiced couscous, and spinach couscous.

Why you'll love this recipe

• It's ready in under 25 minutes
• It features the power duo of mushrooms and tarragon, which I can't seem to get enough of
• Like dried pasta, couscous has a long shelf life and so it's very handy to have in your store cupboard

If you're like me and slightly obsessed with the whole mushroom and tarragon thing, check out these vegan recipes for creamy mushroom pasta and mushroom and tarragon soup.

Which mushrooms should I use?

As with many mushroom recipes, there's a lot of room for flexibility around which varieties you use. I've gone with a mix of chestnut mushrooms (cremini) and closed-cup mushrooms, but you could use virtually any edible mushrooms you like.

If you're into foraging and wild mushrooms (and know what you're doing), this is a great one to make around Autumn time when the woodlands start to flourish. 🍄

More vegan mushroom recipes: 👇

What you'll need

To make this fungi-filled couscous dish, you'll need:

• Mushrooms of your choice
• Dried couscous as the main ingredient
• Onion and garlic for the aromatic base
• Fennel seeds to give a subtle aniseed note
• Lemon for its zest and a squeeze of juice
• Fresh tarragon for additional citrus and aniseed flavours

How to make mushroom couscous

Heat a pan over low-medium heat. Add the dried couscous and toast gently for 4-5 minutes or until starting to turn golden, stirring often.

Turn off the heat, transfer to a bowl, and set aside.

Note: It helps if the pan has a tight-fitting lid for later (see recipe notes for alternative).

After setting aside the toasted couscous, heat the pan again on medium heat and add the oil.

Add the chopped onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook for a few minutes until starting to soften.

Next, add the mushrooms and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until starting to soften, stirring regularly.

Once the mushrooms have softened, stir in the chopped garlic and fennel seeds and cook for a couple of minutes.

After a couple of minutes, turn off the heat.

Stir in the toasted couscous and the zest of half a lemon (you can add some of the juice at the end).

Pour over the boiled water or vegan stock. Give it a quick stir, cover with a lid, and leave to steam for around 5 minutes or until the couscous is soft (it may take slightly longer depending on the variety).

Once soft, fluff up the couscous lightly using a fork.

Stir in the chopped fresh tarragon and the juice of half a lemon. Adjust to taste, adding any extra salt, pepper, or lemon zest/juice, and serve.

Serving suggestions

This mushroom couscous is a great BBQ side dish along with the likes of grilled king oyster mushrooms, vegan burgers, sausages, teriyaki grilled tofu, or teriyaki aubergine.

Additional topping suggestions include super seed mix, cashew lime crema, pico de gallo, cashew parmesan, roasted chickpeas, or roasted lentils.

Recipe FAQ

Variations and tips for mushroom couscous

• Dried tarragon: If you don't have fresh tarragon, try adding two teaspoons of dried tarragon along with the garlic and fennel seeds.
• Mushroom stock: If you have this to hand, it would add an extra depth of flavour in place of the water or vegan stock.
• Other ingredients: Things like olives, sun-dried tomatoes, or roasted veg would all work well here (see also this recipe for Moroccan couscous).
• Pan v bowl: Using a pan with a tight-fitting lid is the easiest way to fry the ingredients and then steam the couscous with just one piece of equipment. If you don't have this, a heat-proof bowl with a lid or cling film (plastic wrap) can also be used to steam the couscous.

See my main recipe for vegan couscous salad for more couscous tips and tricks.

More vegan recipe ideas

You can also check out my full list of vegan sides.