Maftoul (Palestinian Couscous)

Maftoul is a Palestinian dish prepared with hand-rolled couscous. It's prepared in various ways depending on the region. I like to serve this Maftoul recipe with torshi on the side and khubz for dipping!

Maftoul is a traditional Palestinian dish often called "Palestinian couscous." While it shares similarities with North African couscous, it has a distinct texture and preparation method. The name "maftoul" comes from the Arabic root "fa-ta-la", meaning "to twist" or "to roll," which describes the hand-rolling technique used to make this grain.

To Palestinians, maftoul is the ultimate comfort food, much like chicken soup is for many Americans. It's hearty, nostalgic, and deeply rooted in tradition. So, how about I show you how to bring a little bit of that warmth into your own kitchen?

Jump to:

• 🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
• 🥘 How to Make Maftoul
• 🍽 Serving Instructions
• 🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
• 👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips
• 🥙 More Middle Eastern Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

How Maftoul is Made

Unlike couscous, which is made from semolina, maftoul is prepared with bulgur wheat and flour (check out my bulgur pilaf recipe to learn more about bulgur). The process involves rolling bulgur in flour and water until small, pearl-like grains form, which are then steamed and dried in the sun.

Taste & Texture

Maftoul has a nutty, slightly chewy, and creamy texture. It absorbs flavors beautifully when cooked in a rich broth.

How It’s Cooked & Served

Maftoul is traditionally cooked in broth, similar to rice, and served with a soup prepared with chicken, chickpeas, and various veggies in a spiced broth. It is flavored with aromatic spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and allspice.

🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions

• Maftoul: If you have access to a Middle Eastern market, purchase maftoul there. Some non-Middle Eastern brands are made with semolina instead of bulgur, making them pasta instead of a grain. You can also purchase it online. Israeli couscous is not the same thing; it, too, is made with semolina. It can be substituted in a pinch.
• Chickpeas: One can of chickpeas, drained
• Onion: 3 medium onions
• Spices: I decided to use a 7 spice mix that contains a lot of the spices usually added to maftoul. My bahart spice mix is a great substitute. It's made with black pepper, cumin, coriander, paprika, allspice, cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, nutmeg, and chile peppers.
• Other Vegetables: I added a chopped carrot and a few serranos to add a little heat, but those are optional. You can also add other vegetables, for example, zucchini or squash.

*See recipe card for full list of ingredients

🥘 How to Make Maftoul

Prepare Broth

Step 1: Season chicken with 7 spice (or baharat spice mix), salt, and black pepper. Heat olive oil in a 7-quart Dutch oven, then sear chicken on all sides until golden brown. Work in batches, then set chicken aside until needed.

Step 2: In the same pot, sauté ½ of a medium diced onion until translucent, then add minced garlic, allspice berries, bay leaves, dill seeds, cardamom pods, and cinnamon stick. Toast for 30 seconds, then add chicken and cover with 7 cups of hot water.

Step 3: Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer (covered) over low heat for 30 minutes. Skim foam off the surface as needed. Remove chicken and set aside to cool, then strain broth through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solids. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, debone and shred into large chunks.

Prepare the Soup

Step 4: Clean the Dutch oven, then add olive oil and sauté the diced onion until translucent. Add carrots, serranos, and garlic; saute for a couple of minutes. Add shredded chicken and sauté for a few minutes longer.

Pro Tip: I like to keep the chicken in pretty big chunks, but it can be shredded into smaller pieces if preferred.

Step 5: Pour four cups of hot chicken broth into the pot, along with a can of drained chickpeas, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir to dissolve tomato paste, then simmer soup over low heat for 15 minutes, covered.

Prepare Maftoul

Step 6: Meanwhile, add butter and olive oil to a 4-quart Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until golden. Add maftoul and sauté for a few more minutes. Pour the remaining 3 cups of hot broth into the pot and stir in salt and tomato paste to dissolve. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes. Fluff before serving.

Pro Tip: If you have less than 3 cups of broth remaining due to evaporation, you can either add more water or some of the soup stock to make up the difference.

🍽 Serving Instructions

Add 1⅓ cups of maftoul to a serving dish and ladle soup over it. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs (optional) and enjoy! Although this dish is pretty filling, a Middle Eastern salad can be served as a side along with Middle Eastern pita bread for sopping up the yummy juices.

🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

Instead of shredding the chicken and adding it to the soup, another option is to broil the chicken after it's cooked, and serve it on top of the maftoul, then ladle the soup over it.

🥙 More Middle Eastern Recipes

If you enjoy this maftoul recipe, check out these other Middle Eastern dishes!

📖 Recipe