These Sundried Tomato Bruschetta Bowls are PACKED with flavor! Delicious buttery couscous loaded with sundried tomato bruschetta, juicy chicken sausage, feta and a simple balsamic glaze! Not your average weeknight dinner!
This post is sponsored by Al Fresco but all opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for continuing to support brands that make OBB possible! #cookwithalfresco
Hey friends! Today i’m sharing a brand new dinner recipe! I’m all for a quick and easy dinner recipe these days..especially since we are all cooking more than usual! I’m pretty sure my oven is about to revolt against me for all of the cooking I’ve been doing! Ha!
But thankfully – I’m here to share this super simple recipe! It has mostly pantry staples (looking at you random jar of sundried tomatoes in the back of my pantry) and of course, delicious chicken sausage!
Why You’re Going to Love These Bowls:
If you’re anything like me, chicken is usually my go-to protein in a meal but sometimes it can get dry or chewy and it just doesn’t taste right.
I have been *lovingggg* these al fresco chicken sausages!
These chicken sausages are the BOMB. You can feel free stock up on them on your next outing at the grocery store because 1) they’re fully cooked so hello simplicity and 2) they freeze wonderfully, and 3) they have SO many different flavors that could go with any type of meal.
For this meal, I used their sundried tomato and basil sausages. They added the perfect Italian flare to these grain bowls and compliment the flavors of the sundried tomato bruschetta.
Speaking of that bruschetta….can we just talk about the flavor?!? Oh my word, y’all.
It combines the savory, oily nature of the jarred sundried tomatoes with freshness of cherry tomatoes. The juicy pop of the fresh tomatoes with the chewy ultra flavorful sundried tomatoes yields the BEST combination!
Oh, and the fresh basil, tangy feta cheese and balsamic glaze doesn’t hurt either.
Another reason why I love these bowls? They’re so super versatile! You can find a list of substitutions below for the ingredients but I’ve been trying to specifically curate my recipes during this time to be able to be customizable!
Ingredients Needed:
- Al fresco chicken sausage (I used the sundried tomato + basil flavor)
- Sundried tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Fresh basil
- Pearled couscous
- Salt + pepper for seasoning
- Feta cheese
- Balsamic vinegar
- Balsamic glaze (store bought or homemade)
Best Tips for Making These Bowls:
Even though the chicken sausages are fully cooked, I would highly recommend throwing them in a pan with some olive oil for browning! It gives them a nice caramelization, warms them up and they still are super juicy in the middle.
I used Israeli or pearled couscous for this particular recipe because I love the texture! With whatever grain you decide to use, make sure and season it generously! Add in a dab of salted butter or garlic powder. It goes a long way!
Make a fresh balsamic glaze to go on top! This is super simple – all you have to do is combine balsamic vinegar + your choice of sweetener (I used honey) in a pot. Let it come to a boil, stir and then let it simmer until it thickens into a glaze. See recipe notes below for full instructions – talk about flavor!
Substitutions:
There are many substitutions you can use for this particular bowl!
Don’t have couscous? Use quinoa, rice, bulgur or pasta instead!
No feta? No worries! You can substitute mozzarella, parmesan or goat cheese!
If you don’t have a jar of sundried tomatoes, you can use full cherry tomatoes in the bruschetta – just make sure to add in a dash of olive oil!
Lastly, if you don’t have fresh basil, you can substitute dried basil (although, sadly, it won’t have as much flavor!)
Overall, this bowl is packed with flavor, so easy and a fun change up to your normal weekly meals! I hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as I do!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Here are a few other easy dinner recipes you might like:
Roasted Red Pepper Sausage with Chicken Sausage
Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage and Veggies
Chipotle Pineapple Chicken Bowls
Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie
Sundried Tomato Bruschetta Bowls with Chicken Sausage
These Sundried Tomato Bruschetta Bowls are PACKED with flavor! Delicious buttery couscous loaded with sundried tomato bruschetta, juicy chicken sausage, feta and a simple balsamic glaze! Not your average weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
- 2 al fresco sundried tomato and basil chicken sausages
- 8 oz israeli couscous
- 1 and ¾ cups boiling water
- 2 tbsp avocado oil (divided)
Sundried Tomato Bruschetta
- ½ cup jarred sundried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
- 1 tsp oil from jar of sundried tomatoes (or sub olive oil)
- Splash of balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp freshly chopped basil
- Salt to season
Garnishes
- Feta cheese
- Balsamic glaze (homemade or store bought)
- Fresh basil
Instructions
-
Make the couscous first. Start by boiling the water. While that's going, add a drizzle of avocado oil (about tbsp) to a medium sized pot. Let the oil heat on medium heat and then pour in the pearled couscous.
-
Toast the couscous until it's light brown. To this pot, add the boiling water carefully. Cover and let cook for on low for 6-7 minutes, stirring every once in a while. Once it's done, turn it off the heat, leave the cover on the pot and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. The water should have evaporated by now. Season with a dab of butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder if desired.
-
Slice and dice everything! Slice your chicken sausage, dice the cherry tomatoes, the sundried tomatoes and the basil. Set aside for now.
-
In a pan, add in another tsp or so of the avocado oil. Let it heat on medium heat and then add in the sliced chicken sausage. Let it cook on both sides for 1-2 minutes or until caramelized.
-
In a bowl, add the diced cherry tomatoes as well as the sundried tomatoes, the oil from the sundried tomato jar, fresh basil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Mix to combine and add salt to season!
-
Begin to assemble your bowls! Add in the couscous first, followed by the caramelized chicken sausage, a couple spoonfuls of sundried tomato bruschetta, sprinkle some feta and finally drizzle some balsamic glaze if desired on top! Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
For the balsamic glaze - I added about 2/3 cup of balsamic glaze into a pot along with 1 tbsp of honey. I mixed it together and let it come to a gentle boil on medium/high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low/medium heat until the mixture thickens - about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it completely cool! If you're looking for a store-bought brand, Costco has a great option!!
Oh these bowls are amazing Haylie! That chicken sausage is perfect and I should really have more bruschetta in my life. I always love your loaded up bowls!
Thank you os much, Katherine! You’re so sweet!
Bowl meals are something hubby and I enjoy on the regular and these look like such a delicious addition. Love the bruschetta vibe going on here, Haylie! Talk about delicious 🙂 !!
Thank you, Dawn! 🙂
Haylie, these bowls are absolutely awesome! Love that chicken sausage and all of the flavor from the tomatoes, balsamic, and feta. Serving it on couscous is so cool! I only wish I was having it for dinner tonight!
Thank you so much, Kelly!! 🙂
This was a really great dinner and nice change of pace! I doubled much of the recipe except for the sun dried tomatoes because it seemed to be plenty as-is. I made the balsamic glaze with the recipe above and thought it was well worth it! I started that first and let it gently simmer while I made everything else. This comes together fast and is perfect for a weeknight meal! Will definitely make this again. Thank you!
Gina, thank you so much for the kind review! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it and will be making it again! Woo-hoo!! 🙂
Delicious! What a great way for my wife and I to try chicken sausage and pearl couscous for the first time. The bruschetta was perfect for bringing the flavor of the sundried tomato without it being overpowering. We also added roasted asparagus to our bowl.
Hi Anna! Yay – I’m so so glad you and your wife loved it. Chicken sausage is one of my favorite foods so I’m glad you had a good first experience! 🙂 Love the idea of adding roasted asparagus. YUM!
Awesome, flavorful meal! I added some arugula to the bowl just… because. Lol. We love bowls and have them at least once a week!
Cyndi, thanks for the review!! I’ll have to try adding arugula to mine next time too 🙂