Chickpea Couscous With Black Truffle (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

This healthy comfy plant-based meal hits all the right spots.

• Rich in fibre
• Loaded with protein
• Packed with veggies
• Contain good fats

Truffles are a fungus that people can safely eat and are considered an aromatic cooking delight. Grown underground, there is a unique earthy, umami flavour added to the black truffle sauce. Truffles are packed with minerals and amino acids with natural compounds that protect cells from toxins (free radicals). There are numerous health benefits tied to truffles, such as:

• Lower cholesterol levels
• Slow aging process down
• Lower oxidative stress
• Anti-cancer possibilities
• Improve immune system (due to antimicrobial properties)
• Reduced chance of cardiovascular disease

Simply put, truffles are tasty and ultra-nutritious. It’s a win-win!

When planning vegan meals, it’s important to consider various protein sources in every meal. That’s because plant-based proteins are not as complete as animal protein.

I use a gluten-free couscous made of chickpeas flour, combining it with whole chickpeas to give the dish more protein and texture. If you can’t find chickpeas couscous, you can use standard couscous or try a new grain like fonio or teff. It’s always good to try new grains anyway, as it adds some diversity to the diet and feeds the microbiome in the gut.

You can make this dish even more flavorful with the addition of mushrooms, caramelized onions and stir-fried spinach. Each of these combines perfectly with the earthy truffle couscous aromas.

This fancy vegan meal is one of my favourite easy vegan recipes. It’s super-quick to make, even though it looks elaborate. It takes roughly 15 minutes to create this high-end meal that will capture people’s eyes and have them salivating for a bite. I love serving this meal to guests, especially to people who see vegan meals as tasteless and bland. The richness of the flavours is simply divine.

It’s a great vegan recipe for beginners.

Pro Tip – Use the same frying pan to prepare both the mushrooms and spinach (easier clean-up) or use two pans to prepare the meal even quicker.

Chickpea Couscous With Black Truffle (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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• Author: Elisa Tricon

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Description

This healthy comfy plant-based meal hits all the right spots.

• It’s rich in fibre
• High in protein
• Packed with veggies
• Contain good fats

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Ingredients

Units MUS Scale 1x2x3x

Onions:

• 2 red onions, sliced
• 1 tsp olive oil

Couscous:

• 100g chickpea couscous (I used Profusion)
• 100ml of boiling water
• 325g chickpea (I live Brindisa Monjardin Organic Chickpeas)
• Truffle sauce (I like Truffle Hunter UK)
• Black pepper and salt to taste

Mushrooms:

• 250g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Black pepper and salt to taste

Spinach

• 400g baby spinach
• Salt to taste

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Instructions

1. Lightly toast pine nuts for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the sliced onions with olive oil, mix well. Let it caramelise for 15/20 minutes stirring it occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, stir fry the mushrooms with the garlic powder and olive oil until softened, add salt to taste and black pepper. Reserve
4. Stir fry the spinach until soften (~ 1 minute), add a good pinch of salt. Reserve.
5. Meanwhile, add boiling water to the couscous and let it sit for 5 minutes. Drain the chickpeas and rinse them in hot water. Fluff the couscous when ready and involve the truffle sauce and drained chickpeas. Rectify salt and sprinkle black pepper to taste.
6. Serve the truffle mix with stir-fried spinach, mushrooms and caramelised onions. Sprinkle some lightly toasted pine nuts.