Stuffed Courgettes with Chermoula & Couscous
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Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Chermoula is a fresh, herb-filled North African sauce that adds a dash of zing to this dish of courgette canoes stuffed with a spiced tomato and spinach sauce and served with heaps of warm fluffy couscous.
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508 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
  • 2 courgettes
  • 1 red onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 250g cherry vine tomatoes
  • A handful of coriander
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 50g baby leaf spinach
  • 150g couscous
  • A handful of dill
  • 1 chilli
  • 1 lemon
From your kitchen
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 300ml boiling water
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Heat your oven to 200°C/180°C/Gas 6. Halve the courgettes lengthways. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds (save these for later). Pop the courgettes on a baking tray, cut side up. Bake for 20 mins to soften slightly.

  • 2.

    Meanwhile, peel and finely slice the red onion. Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Separate the coriander leaves and stalks. Pop the leaves aside. Finely chop the stalks.

  • 3.

    Pour 1 tbsp oil into a pan and warm to a medium heat. Slide in the chopped onion, half the chopped garlic (set the other half of the chopped garlic aside for later) and the coriander stalks. Sprinkle in 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp turmeric and a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry for 5 mins, till slightly softened.

  • 4.

    While the onion and spices fry, halve the cherry vine tomatoes. Roughly chop the seeded courgette middles that you scooped out of the courgettes in step 1.

  • 5.

    Slide the cherry tomatoes and courgette middles into the pan. Stir well and cover. Cook for 10 mins, stirring well, till the tomatoes have broken down.

  • 6.

    While the vegetables are cooking, pour the couscous into a heatproof bowl. Cover with 300ml boiling water. Pop a plate on top of the bowl to cover it, and set aside for 15 mins.

  • 7.

    Stir the spinach into the softened veg till wilted. When the courgettes have cooked for 20 mins, remove them from the oven. Fill them evenly with the tomato and spinach sauce. Return the courgettes to the oven for 10 mins, till bubbling.

  • 8.

    Make the chermoula. Finely chop the coriander leaves and the dill then stir with the remaining garlic. Halve the chilli, scoop out the seeds and white pith and finely chop the chilli. Add to the herbs. Sprinkle in 1 tsp cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper. Grate in the lemon zest and squeeze in half of the juice. Pour in 1 tbsp oil and stir.

  • 9.

    Serve the stuffed courgettes on top of fluffy couscous, with plenty of the chermoula spooned over the top.

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