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    Home » Lunch

    Red Pepper Carrot Soup with Couscous

    Originally Published: Nov 4, 2017 · Last Updated: Jan 7, 2020 by Ann · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    570 shares
    • 19
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This beautiful, bold red pepper carrot soup gets a ton of flavor from a tablespoon of harissa, and is extra satisfying on a chilly fall evening with the inspired addition of a couscous swirl. I made it on a weeknight in under an hour.

    Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I will make a small commission, at no cost to you. I will never recommend anything I don't personally love and use, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

    This red pepper carrot soup gets a ton of flavor from harissa, and is extra satisfying on a chilly fall evening with the amazing addition of a couscous swirl.

    How do you feel about soup for dinner? Some people don’t consider soup to be a full meal in itself. I beg to differ! With some bread, tortilla chips, crackers, or other carbs on the side for dunking, soup is a comforting, satisfying, soul-nourishing, not to mention healthy, supper.

    This red pepper carrot soup gets a ton of flavor from harissa, and is extra satisfying on a chilly fall evening with the amazing addition of a couscous swirl.

    Still not convinced? What if we put the starch IN the soup. Then it’s basically a bowl of pasta – albeit a very saucy one. That is basically what Deb of Smitten Kitchen did with this red pepper carrot soup with a couscous swirl. I think it’s kind of genius, but then I’m an easy sell when it comes to soup, if you couldn’t tell! As a bonus, leftovers make easy work lunches. I usually put a soup on the menu at least once a week for just that purpose.

    What is harissa?

    This soup gets a ton of complex flavor from the addition of harissa – a North African chile and spice paste. It’s generally sold prepared in a tube. If you can’t find it in the grocery store, you can get it easily here. It’s a spicy condiment, but with only a tablespoon in the recipe, the overall effect is pretty mellow. Feel free to add more to taste!

    This red pepper carrot soup gets a ton of flavor from harissa, and is extra satisfying on a chilly fall evening with the amazing addition of a couscous swirl.

    This recipe is from the new Smitten Kitchen cookbook, which I’ve had for all of a week and has already monopolized my menu for the foreseeable future. I loved the first book, but this one is packed with easy weeknight inspiration, and is right up my alley. I highly recommend it. If you don’t already follow Deb on her blog, I recommend that too.

    This beautiful, bold soup gets a ton of flavor from harissa, and is extra satisfying on a chilly fall evening with the amazing addition of a couscous swirl.
    This beautiful, bold soup gets a ton of flavor from harissa, and is extra satisfying on a chilly fall evening with the amazing addition of a couscous swirl.

    Red Pepper Carrot Soup with Couscous

    This beautiful, bold soup gets a ton of flavor from harissa, and is extra satisfying on a chilly fall evening with the amazing addition of a couscous swirl.
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Course: Lunch, Main Dish
    Cuisine: North African
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 170kcal
    Author: Ann Otis

    Ingredients

    Soup

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
    • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
    • 6 large red bell peppers, chopped into 1-inch pieces
    • 4-5 large carrots (about 1 lb), thinly sliced or chopped
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
    • 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 tablespoon prepared harissa
    • handful of chopped parsley

    Couscous

    • ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
    • ½ cup dried fine couscous

    Instructions

    • Heat olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
    • Add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 4-5 minutes. Add bell peppers and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
    • Pour in the stock and add the cumin, paprika and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 20-25 minutes until vegetables are very tender.
    • While the vegetables are simmering, prepare the couscous. In a small saucepan, bring broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, add couscous, cover and set aside until the soup is ready (at least 5-10 minutes).
    • When the vegetables are tender, purée the soup in the pot with an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender. Stir in the harissa and add salt to taste.
    • Ladle soup into bowls. Fluff couscous with a fork and swirl into the soup.

    Notes

    Adapted from Smitten Kitchen Every Day by Deb Perelman

    Nutrition

    Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 958mg | Potassium: 564mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 10620IU | Vitamin C: 166.3mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1.4mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag it Today!Mention @OurHappyMess or tag #OurHappyMess!
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    570 shares
    • 19

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joanne Marie

      October 18, 2021 at 2:25 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely love this recipe! It's my Autumn & Winter Go-To Recipe. ♡

      Reply
      • Ann

        October 22, 2021 at 11:20 am

        Oh I am so happy to hear that! It's a favorite here too 🙂

        Reply
    2. Allison

      December 10, 2019 at 1:15 pm

      5 stars
      This soup is unbelievably delicious .Definately a keeper.

      Reply
      • Ann

        December 10, 2019 at 1:19 pm

        Yay!! I’m so glad you loved it as much as we do Allison!

        Reply
    3. Kristi

      December 08, 2018 at 11:41 pm

      5 stars
      I made this tonight and loved it thank you!!

      Reply
      • Ann

        December 09, 2018 at 1:30 pm

        Yay!! Thank you so much for letting me know Kristi!! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Lisa | Garlic & Zest

      March 19, 2018 at 9:22 am

      5 stars
      I love a good soup for dinner and this looks really lovely. Beautiful colors and textures with the couscous!

      Reply
      • Ann

        March 19, 2018 at 9:49 am

        Thank you so much Lisa!

        Reply
    5. Liz @ I Heart Vegetables

      March 19, 2018 at 9:20 am

      5 stars
      This looks like such a delicious way to use extra veggies! I love soups with veggies blended right into them 🙂

      Reply
      • Ann

        March 19, 2018 at 9:50 am

        Me too!

        Reply
    6. Jill

      March 19, 2018 at 9:01 am

      5 stars
      I really like the idea of adding couscous to a soup. I'll have to try this recipe!

      Reply
      • Ann

        March 19, 2018 at 9:09 am

        I love the extra texture it gives the soup!

        Reply
    7. Danielle

      March 19, 2018 at 8:42 am

      This sounds delicious! I love the use of harissa for an extra kick 🙂

      Reply
      • Ann

        March 19, 2018 at 9:07 am

        Thanks Danielle! The harissa adds a nice kick, and great flavor 🙂

        Reply
    8. Billy

      January 08, 2018 at 1:34 pm

      What a perfect soup for the winter season.. I can't wait to make this for my family. They are going to love giving this one a try! Thank you so much for sharing.

      Reply
      • Ann

        January 08, 2018 at 1:36 pm

        Thank you Billy! It's one of our favorites. Hope you like it as much as we do 🙂

        Reply

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    Ann from Our Happy Mess

    I'm Ann and I believe in balanced eating, homemade foods, and DESSERT. I love to cook, but I can't spend all day in the kitchen anymore, so what you'll mostly find here are simple, family-friendly recipes. I'm really happy you're here!
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