Italian Chicken Sausage with Israeli Couscous

I picked up a Taste of Home magazine from the grocery store that is packed FULL of recipes that I want to make. I probably bookmarked nearly ever page in that magazine! Taste of Home never fails to produce great recipes. I bet half of my recipe boxes have come from Taste of Home magazines of recipe booklets.

I still try to make recipes mine, though. I get ideas from these magazines and then run with them. When I spotted this recipe, I knew I had to make it. I’ve never tried Israeli, or peal, couscous before and knew this was my change.

Boy howdy, was pearl couscous nearly impossible to find in this city. I couldn’t find it at my normal grocery store, so I went to newly built Walmart down the road. That Walmart has a ton of weird foods down its aisles, including a MASSIVE hispanic food section that I love. But guess what they didn’t have? Pearl couscous.

Third times a charm, though. On my way home, I stopped at a Natural Grocers and thankfully found a container of the good good. I’m glad I live within a five mile radius of so many different grocery stores!

The Israeli couscous didn’t disappoint. I think I like it better than regular couscous. It’s like little pebbles of yum that soak up flavors of a dish. The flavors for this one–chicken broth, fennel, chicken sausage…were amazing with the large-sized pearls.

I figure you could use whichever flavor chicken sausage you’d like for this recipe. I usually go after the apple-chicken sausage, but the Italian-style flavored one appealed to me for this one. The brand I grabbed had chunks of sweet peppers inside and it went wonderfully with the couscous and feta.

This meal is all in one skillet (winning!) and has such simple flavors and minimal ingredients, but is sure to impress anybody eating it at your dinner table.

Italian Chicken Sausage & Israeli Couscous

• Servings: 2-3
• Time: 25 mins
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

Sweet Italian chicken sausages tossed with Israeli couscous, onions, feta and fresh parsley.

Ingredients

• 4 Italian chicken sausage links, sliced
• 1 TBS. olive oil
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/4 cup Israeli (pearl) couscous
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced (plus more for serving)
• 1/2 cup feta, crumbled

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sausage and cook, until sausage is browned and onion is translucent, about 5-6 minutes.
2. Add garlic and continue to cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Stir in broth, water, salt, pepper, and red pepper. Bring to a boil and then add couscous. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
4. Remove skillet from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in parsley. Serve with feta crumbled over the top and garnished with parsley.

Step-By-Step Instructions

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sausage and cook, until sausage is browned and onion is translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in broth, water, salt, pepper, and red pepper.

Bring to a boil and then add couscous. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Remove skillet from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in parsley.

Serve with feta crumbled over the top and garnished with parsley.