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small price, big dish

Whole wheat couscous with merguez and grilled zucchini

An everyday dish for 2, ready in 25 minutes, around $1.75 a serving. People actually plan it with Popotam, and it's in season in October.

25mintotal
≈ $1.75a serving
915kcalper serving
28gof protein
In season in OctoberFreezes well
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Step-by-step recipe

check things off as you go

  1. Prep the zucchini

    Wash the zucchini and cut them into thick 1 cm rounds. Lay them out on the cutting board.

  2. Grill the zucchini

    Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat with no fat. Add the zucchini rounds and grill them 4 to 5 minutes per side, until tender and lightly golden. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Set them aside on a plate.

    Tip · To keep the zucchini from releasing too much water, don't crowd the skillet. Leave a little space between each round.

  3. Cook the couscous

    In the saucepan, bring 300 ml of water to a boil. Add the whole wheat couscous, stir once with the wooden spoon, then cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes without touching it. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes, covered.

  4. Cook the merguez

    In the same skillet (no need to wash it), cook the merguez over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, turning them often, until nicely browned and cooked through. Set them aside on a plate.

    Tip · If the merguez puff up too much while cooking, prick them lightly with the tip of a knife so they don't burst.

  5. Build the plates

    Fluff the couscous with a fork in a large bowl. Add half the harissa and mix well. Divide the couscous between two plates and top with the grilled zucchini and merguez. Drizzle with olive oil and dot with the rest of the harissa.

And there you go, it's readyCheck off every step to celebrate.

The questions you're asking

short answers, numbers you can check

How many calories in a serving?

One serving has about 915 kcal. 32% comes from carbs, 12% from protein and 54% from fat.

73 gCarbs
28 gProtein
55 gFat
Per serving (the dish for 2, divided by 2)
Energy915 kcal
Protein27.9 g
Carbs72.8 g
of which sugars4 g
Fat54.8 g
of which saturated fat2.4 g
Fiber5.5 g
Salt0.4 g

Worked out ingredient by ingredient with the ANSES Ciqual 2025 table, never written by an AI. It's an estimate: veggie sizes and brands make the numbers vary.

How much does it cost?

About $1.75 a serving, adding up the average prices of the ingredients you need to buy.

≈ $3.51for 2 people
≈ $1.75a serving

Pantry salt, oil and spices aren't counted. Your store and your brands will move the total, but the ballpark is right.

How long does it keep?

2 days in the fridge, in a closed container, once cooled within two hours. After that, into the freezer it goes.

2 daysin the fridge
Yesin the freezer, thaw it in the fridge the day before

Times Popotam uses for meal prep, based on ANSES guidance, rounded down. The details: how long cooked dishes keep.

and the rest of the week?

Popotam plans your whole week

Lunch and dinner, with dishes like this one, based on your tastes, your time and your budget. The grocery list is sorted by aisle. Free, no account.

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