🍄 Woodland Couscous — a hearty jar-to-go meal

• 📋 Ingredients

  For a 12 oz (0.36 L) Zojirushi Stainless Steel Food Jar

  • ⅛ small onion, finely minced
  • 5 fresh or rehydrated morel mushrooms, chopped (or 45 g oyster mushrooms)
  • ½ small carrot, diced
  • 80 ml chicken stock
  • 80 ml green peas, fresh or frozen
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • ⅛ tsp sea salt
  • ⅛ tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup (40 g) couscous

  For a 17 oz (0.5 L) Zojirushi Stainless Steel Food Jar

  • ⅙ small onion, minced
  • 7 morel mushrooms (or 55 g oyster mushrooms), chopped
  • ⅔ small carrot, diced
  • 120 ml chicken stock
  • 120 ml peas
  • ½ Tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • ½ Tbsp white wine vinegar
  • ⅓ cup (55 g) couscous

  Seasoning for both sizes

  • 2 tsp (or 1 Tbsp for the larger jar) dried parsley
  • 1 Tbsp (or 1 ½ Tbsp) roasted pine nuts

*This recipe was developed for Stainless Steel Food Jars SW-EAE35/50. Adjustments may be required for making this recipe in other Food Jar models.

1

Pre-heat

Pour boiling water into the jar, fit the lid and let the vacuum do its thing. This step is key for truly leak-proof lunch jar recipes that stay hot.

3

Quick sauté & simmer

In a saucepan combine onion, mushrooms, carrot, peas, stock, oil, salt, pepper and vinegar. Bring to a lively boil, then immediately lower to a gentle bubble for 2 minutes.

Tip out the warming water, then pour the dry couscous straight into the jar.

5

Fill & seal

Ladle the hot vegetable broth mixture over the grains until it sits 1 cm below the inner ridge. Screw the lid on securely. Your meal will self-steam while you’re on the move — one of my favourite Zojirushi lunch jar meals.

6

Steep

Leave the jar undisturbed for at least 1 hour (and up to 6). The couscous will swell and soak up every drop.

 

7

Finish & fluff

Just before eating, stir through parsley and scatter over pine nuts for crunch.

8

Eat up

Enjoy within six hours. It’s brilliant as a desk lunch or one of those hot food ideas for kids school lunch on chilly days.

💡 Tip or Advice

• Swap the stock: Vegetable broth and a pinch of smoked paprika turns this into a vegan hug-in-a-jar.
• Season late: Salt intensifies while the couscous steeps; under-season at the pan stage, then adjust when serving.
• Add protein: A handful of shredded roast chicken transforms it into a post-work-out power bowl.

📦 Best used with

• Zojirushi Stainless Steel Food Jar 17 oz  — perfect for share-and-snack couples.

Both models lock in heat for hours and feature a wide mouth that makes fluffing couscous effortless.

🔗 Linked collection

Discover more forest-inspired comfort dishes in the Thermal Lunch Jar Recipe Library.