Punchy Protein Couscous — a plant-based Italian recipe by BOSH!
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Punchy Protein Couscous

This one is a proper weeknight winner and we keep coming back to it again and again. Crispy roasted chickpeas and tofu, punchy spices, fluffy couscous; it all comes together in about 30 minutes and honestly tastes like you put in way more effort than you did. The cumin and chilli give it this warm, smoky depth that makes every forkful really satisfying, and the textures are just brilliant. Crispy bits against soft couscous is a combo we never get tired of. Make this tonight, trust us.

Cook: 30 min
Serves 2

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Large baking tray
  • Mixing bowl
  • Fork for fluffing

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp chilli powder
  • 2 x 280g block of firm tofu
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 x 400g can of chickpeas - drained and rinsed
  • 1 tbsp Urfa paste - Turkish chilli paste
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 120g couscous
  • 8 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 Juice of 1 lemon
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 4 tbsp hummus
  • 2 tsp Urfa paste - Turkish chilli paste
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp mixed seeds
  • Handful of baby spinach

Method

1

Prepare the chickpeas and tofu

  • Open, drain, rinse and shake dry the chickpeas
  • Open the tofu, drain and squeeze out a little more water, without breaking up the tofu
  • Rip the tofu in rough 2cm pieces and spread them over a baking sheet with the chickpeas
  • Drizzle over the oil, sprinkle with cumin, garlic powder, chilli powder and salt and pepper to taste
  • Stir to combine and coat, put the tray in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through
2

Prepare the remaining ingredients

  • Quarter the cherry tomatoes
  • Core the pepper and dice
3

Prepare the couscous

  • Add the couscous, Urfa paste, olive oil and a little salt and pepper to a mixing bowl
  • Cover the couscous with boiling water making sure it's covered by at least 1/2cm water
  • Stir everything together so it's well mixed, put a plate on top of the bowl and leave to hydrate for as long as it takes the roasting ingredients to cook through
4

Finish the couscous

  • Halve the lemon
  • Take the lid off the couscous, squeeze over the lemon juice, catching any pips in your free hand and fluff with a fork
  • Add the cherry tomatoes and pepper to the bowl and fold into the couscous
5

Plate and serve

  • Mix the hummus, olive oil and remaining Urfa paste in a bowl to combine
  • Spoon the couscous into serving bowls, top with the tofu and chickpeas, add the spinach and Urfa hummus, sprinkle over the seeds and serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Get them crispy: Make sure you shake the chickpeas as dry as you can and don't overcrowd the baking tray. A bit of space between everything makes a real difference to how crispy they get.
  • Spice it your way: We love it as written but if you want more heat, just add an extra pinch of chilli powder. Henry always sneaks a bit more in.
  • Serve it fresh: Couscous can soak up liquid as it sits, so if you're making this ahead, keep the couscous and the roasted chickpea and tofu mix separate until you're ready to eat.

Why This Works

The trick is really getting the chickpeas and tofu properly dry before they go in the oven. Squeeze out that extra moisture and give them space on the tray so they roast rather than steam. That's what gets you those lovely crispy edges that make the whole dish. The spice mix does the heavy lifting on flavour, so don't be shy with it.