A-Z Indexes

Food

Health Guides

Health News

Couscous with Tomatoes, Basil, and Lentils

Related recipes: Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Corn-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, High-Fiber Diet
Couscous with Tomatoes, Basil, and Lentils: Main Image

Quick Facts

Servings: 4

Sides & Desserts

  1. Warm Pork and Pear Salad
  2. Fresh Baby Spinach with Wild Mushrooms
  3. Search for Special Diet Recipes

Wine Pairings

  1. Grenache
  2. Syrah and Shiraz
A delicious combination of tastes and textures. Serve as a main dish or side dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbs olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable juice cocktail, (V8 or seasoned tomato juice)
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup lentils, uncooked, rinsed and drained
  • 1 bay leaf, broken in half
  • 1/2 tsp salt (sea salt if on a corn-free diet*)
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1 cup couscous, uncooked
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions

  • In a medium-sized pot, heat oil until hot and sauté garlic until tender. Stir in vegetable juice, water, lentils, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until lentils are soft but not mushy.
  • Remove pot from heat and discard bay leaf. Stir in couscous, tomato and basil. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes or until the couscous is soft. Uncover and fluff with a fork to separate the grains.

* Allergy notes: People following a corn-free diet should avoid iodized salt since it contains dextrose, which should be avoided by those allergic to corn.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 380
  Calories from Fat 38 (10%)
(7%)Total Fat 4g
(3%)Saturated Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
(0%)Cholesterol 0mg
(23%)Sodium 548mg
(22%)Potassium 755mg
Total Carbohydrate 67g
(72%)Dietary Fiber 18g
Sugars 6g
Sugar Alcohols 0g
(40%)Protein 20g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Nutrition facts are calculated by a food expert using nutritional values provided by the USDA for common products used as recipe ingredients. Actual nutritional values may differ depending on the amounts or products used and can be affected by cooking methods.

Copyright © 2025 TraceGains, Inc. All rights reserved.

Read our healthy recipe definitions.

Learn more about TraceGains, the company.

The information presented here is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2025.