ES

Low-Sodium Couscous Sunny-Side Up 

Make this delicious Southwest-inspired couscous salad packed with fresh flavor and spices, not sodium. 

60 Mins

About 60 minutes to prep and cook 

334 Cal

334 calories per serving*

Serves 2

Serves about 2 people

Couscous is a staple food of Northern Africa, although it has become common in the Mediterranean region as well. The small balls made from durum wheat semolina are the perfect bed for a hearty salad, and are sodium-free. This recipe contains all fresh ingredients, not canned or convenience foods, which can contain added salt. Most Americans eat too much salt – it can raise cardiovascular risks, which are already higher in people with inflammatory arthritis. Salt also can increase fluid retention in those who take corticosteroids..
 
To make this recipe you will need an oven with a broiler option, a large pot, an immersion blender or regular blender and 2 oven-safe plates. 

Nutritional information (per serving)*: Total Fat (12.6g); Carbohydrates (42g); Sodium (168mg); Sugar (13g); Fiber (6g); Cholesterol (620mg); Protein (15g)

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 orange
1 cup couscous
1 cup water
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small shallot, chopped
2 tomatoes
1 poblano pepper
2 tomatillos
1 jalapeño, diced
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp of chipotle powder or chili powder

Directions

Wash and remove stems from the tomatoes and poblano pepper. Remove the outer leaves of the tomatillos and rinse quickly. Slice off the top of the poblano, and then slice down the side to remove the seeds. Place the whole tomatoes, tomatillos and the poblano in an oven pan.

Turn on the oven broiler to low and place ingredients from step one on the top rack directly under the flame. Allow for them to char on one side for 5 minutes. Turn the tomatoes, tomatillos and poblano two more times until all the sides have had a good amount of heat (a total time of 15 minutes).
 

Remove the tomatoes, tomatillos and poblano and allow them to cool.

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium flame and add the shallot and garlic. Allow the garlic to brown and shallot to become slightly transparent, stirring constantly.

Peel the charred skin from the tomatoes, tomatillos and the poblano. An easy way to do this is to put them in a paper bag and rub.

Combine the tomatoes, tomatillos, poblano and the roasting juices. Blend with an immersion blender or a regular blender, until mostly smooth. Then allow it to reduce for another 15 minutes over medium heat. Add pepper to taste.

In another small pot, heat 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Add in the couscous and stir for 2 minutes. Remove couscous from the flame and add juice from one small orange, the jalapeño and the parsley. Mix well.

In two oven-safe dishes layer the couscous and roasted tomato/pepper sauce. Crack one egg in each dish and dust with chipotle powder.

Place the two dishes under the oven broiler on low for 5 to 10 minutes or until the whites of the eggs have hardened.

To serve, sprinkle leftover parsley on top and dig in.

  • Using a variety of spices, herbs and fresh vegetables, like garlic, shallot and peppers, instead of salt is a great way to pack your recipes with flavor without the added sodium. 
  • This recipe has a number of ingredients that are helpful for people with arthritis. Extra virgin olive oil is full of polyphenols that have been shown to reduce joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis. Garlic and shallots contain quercetin and chili peppers contain capsaicinoids, which may be helpful for inflammation. 
  • Canned and convenience foods often include extra salt to act as a preservative. So whenever you can, use fresh! It tastes good, is inexpensive and doesn’t expose you to unnecessary sodium that could affect your health. 

*Disclaimer: All nutritional information provided is approximate and based on USDA measurements. Actual amounts may vary based on exact ingredients used, how they are prepared and serving size. 
 

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