This easy, 25 minute, One Pot Sausage and Couscous dinner is a great way to get a delicious dinner on the table fast! It’s a hearty and flavorful couscous dish made with lean Italian chicken sausage and spinach, and garnished with toasted pine nuts.
Your family will love this meal, and you will love the simple prep and quick cleanup!
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👩🏻🍳 Why You'll Love This Recipe
I love simple meals with as little cleanup as possible, which is why I'm such a fan of this quick and tasty sausage and couscous with vegetables! It's loaded with healthy ingredients and prepared in one pot for easy prep and minimal time spent washing dishes after!
Like this One Pot Curry Pasta, you'll love how fast it is to make this Italian sausage couscous and get a healthy and filling dinner on the table in under 30 minutes!
🥘 Ingredients Needed
- onion
- garlic
- chicken broth - cooking the couscous and other ingredients in broth makes for a more flavorful meal.
- salt & pepper
- chicken sausage - I like to use chicken sausage as it's a bit better for you than classic Italian sausage, but feel free to use whatever kind of sausage you like!
- baby spinach - provides a nice green color and some added nutrition.
- couscous - acts as a starchy base to tie together this easy dish.
- toasted pine nuts - this optional ingredient adds a distinct pine-y nutty flavor that compliments and enhances the other flavors of this dish.
🔪 Instructions
- Cook onion and garlic over medium heat until the onion is soft.
- Add chicken broth, salt, and pepper, then stir until well combined.
- Allow the broth to boil and add the sausage, cooking for a few minutes until sausage is heated through.
- Add spinach.
- Stir until spinach begins to wilt.
- Add the couscous and cover, removing from heat. Let sit about 5 minutes so couscous can absorb the liquid.
👪 FAQs
Though it looks like a grain, couscous is actually a type of pasta made of semolina flour. North African in origin, there are 3 major types of couscous: Moroccan, the smallest, Israeli (also called pearl couscous), and Lebanese, which is the largest.
No. Though couscous seems like a grain, like any other pasta there's no need to rinse or soak it before cooking.
Compared to white rice, couscous has about the same amount of calories but tends to contain more protein, vitamins, and minerals, so it could be considered more healthy than rice.
Love couscous? Try this Shrimp with Couscous recipe! It's another one pot recipe your family will love!
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Frozen onion is a great way to save on time! Just pop it in the skillet; no need to defrost.
- Another great shortcut is jarred minced garlic, which saves even more time on busy nights.
- To toast your pine nuts, place in the oven or a toaster oven at about 375 degrees F for 10 minutes or so. Be sure to check them often to prevent burning.
- I like to avoid extra calories and fat by cooking the onion and garlic without any oil, but if you think they need some liquid, throw in a dash of the broth.
This delicious Italian sausage couscous is an ideal dinner for hectic weeknights, and leftovers are great to pack for lunch later in the week!
📖 Substitutions and Variations
- Any kind of sausage will be great in this dish; feel free to use whatever kind is your favorite.
- Top with some feta cheese, red pepper flakes, or parsley for added flavor.
- Add seasonings like cumin, cayenne, and smoked paprika to change the flavor profile of your dish.
- Throw in other veggies like bell peppers, celery, or tomatoes for even more nutrition!
🔊 What readers are saying...
"This was amazing and my very very picky child asked for seconds. I used regular smoked beef sausage, left out the pine nuts and added red pepper flakes to my bowl."
- Renee
🥫 Storage and Reheating
Once cool, transfer your sausage and couscous with vegetables to an airtight container and store in the fridge. It should last for 5 days or so.
When it comes time to reheat, popping your couscous in the microwave is a fine way to get it nice and hot again! Start with a minute and continue in 30-second increments.
You can also store in the freezer to lengthen shelf life. It should be good for 3 months and potentially even longer.
To reheat from frozen, allow to defrost a bit in the fridge--overnight if possible--and then microwave as instructed above.
💡 What To Serve With This Dish
While this sausage and couscous dish already has everything you need for a well-rounded and healthy dinner, try pairing it with Homemade Cheddar Bacon Slow Cooker Bread or these easy and delicious Crispy Sauteed Potatoes.
🌭 More Sausage Recipes You'll Love
- Easy Vegetarian Sausage Basil Pizza - Packed with flavor from the cashews, veggie sausage, and basil, this is a great way to switch up pizza night.
- Sausage Mozzarella Sandwiches - With a delicious chipotle lime slaw, these sandwiches are a great lunch or handheld dinner.
- Sweet Garlic Basil Sausage and Halloumi Kebabs - Ideal for cookouts and barbecues, these tasty kebabs are loaded with cheese, meat, and other healthy ingredients!
- Italian Sausage and Peppers - This classic recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything is a must-have for every home chef's cookbook!
Couscous with Sausage and Vegetables
Love this recipe? Awesome! Please give it a 5 star ⭐ rating below! And if you make this, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram. You can find me at DizzyBusyandHungry or #dizzybusyandhungry!
📋 Recipe Card
One Pot Sausage and Couscous
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 12-16 ounces pre-cooked chicken Italian sausage (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 2 cups couscous
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted (optional)
Instructions
- Cooke the onion and garlic in a large skillet over medium high heat until the onion starts to soften. (Add a little of the chicken broth if you like.)1 medium onion, 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Add chicken broth, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine while heating.2 cups chicken broth, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Bring to a boil, then add the sausage. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the sausage is heated through.12-16 ounces pre-cooked chicken Italian sausage
- Add the spinach, and stir until it begins to wilt.5 ounces fresh baby spinach
- Add the couscous, cover the skillet, and remove from heat. Let sit until the couscous absorbs all the liquid, about 5 minutes.2 cups couscous
- Fluff couscous with a fork, sprinkle the pine nuts on top, and serve.¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
Notes
- If you are in a rush or don't have an onion on hand, you can use frozen onion instead of fresh. no need to thaw before placing in the skillet.
- Fresh garlic is great, but I generally to use jarred minced garlic on busy weeknights.
- To toast the pine nuts, place in the oven (or a toaster oven) at 375 degrees until golden, about 10 minutes. Check them often to prevent burning.
- Instead of adding calories with olive oil when cooking the onion and garlic, I skip it altogether, or just add a little of the chicken broth if it seems like it needs it.
- You can use your favorite pre-cooked sausage with this recipe.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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Happy cooking!
Joyce
I am so glad I found this easy healthy meal! Everyone loved it, I think they were getting bored of the same thing I kept making at dinner! haha 🙂 They are happy they got to have sausage, and I'm happy it was healthy! win win! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Sara Welch
Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it didn't disappoint! So hearty and bold; easily, a new family favorite dish!
Alisa Infanti
This is my new favourite lunch to bring to work!
Emily
Everyone loved this quick and easy meal! This recipe is going on regular rotation. I added the jarred minced garlic as you suggested and it was amazing!
Tayler Ross
I'm always looking for quick and easy meals during the week, and the fact that this was ready in under 30 minutes made it taste even better!
Renee
This was amazing and my very very picky child asked for seconds. I used regular smoked beef sausage, left out the pine nuts and added red pepper flakes to my bowl.
Kristin
Those are great ideas. So glad you like this! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Heather Who Needs a Cape?
Healthy and delish are my favorite combo's! This looks great!
Thanks for putting it on Super Sunday at Who Needs a Cape!
Kristin
Love your Super Sunday party. Will make it a point to come back regularly. Thanks for hosting! 🙂
Diane Balch
This is my family's kinda meal.. love the pine nuts and the healthy chicken sausage. Thanks so much for sharing this with us on foodie friday. We hope to see a lot more of you.
Kristin
Thanks, Diane! I will definitely make it a point to stop by again! 🙂
Jersey Girl Cooks
Love this dish! Sausage spinach and pine nuts sound like a perfect combination.
Kristin
Thanks Lisa! The family really did love it. We will be having this on a regular basis from now on! 🙂