Vegetable Couscous Stew
Want a change from chili at your next party? This veggie-laden North African stew is just the ticket. We’ve provided a recipe for the spice blend ras el hanout, which is traditionally used to season the dish, but you can also just use 2 to 3 Tbs. prepared ras el…
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Want a change from chili at your next party? This veggie-laden North African stew is just the ticket. We’ve provided a recipe for the spice blend ras el hanout, which is traditionally used to season the dish, but you can also just use 2 to 3 Tbs. prepared ras el hanout spice blend, which can be found in well-stocked spice sections at supermarkets.
Ingredients
Ras el hanout
- 2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. ground allspice, optional
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, optional
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, optional
Stew
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced (3 cups)
- 2 cups tomato puree or strained tomatoes
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (4 cups)
- 2 1/2 cups small carrot chunks (5 medium carrots)
- 4 small turnips, cut into 3/4-inch wedges (11/2 cups)
- 1 medium bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (1 cup)
- 2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Couscous and garnishes
- 2 cups couscous
- 1 tsp. salt, optional
- 2 cups raisins
- Harissa
Preparation
1 To make Ras El Hanout: Combine all ingredients in small bowl.
2 To make Stew: Pour Ras El Hanout into large Dutch oven, and add onions, tomato purée, oil, garlic, and 6 cups water. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 30 minutes.
3 Add zucchini, carrots, turnips, and bell pepper; cover, and bring to a boil. Simmer 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chickpeas just before serving.
Slow-Cooker Option: Place Ras El Hanout and Stew ingredients (except chickpeas) in slow cooker, and set on medium or high heat. Cook 8 hours.Stir in chickpeas just before serving.
4 To make Couscous and Garnishes: Place couscous in large heat-proof bowl; place raisins in medium heat-proof bowl. Pour 4 cups boiling water over couscous, cover, and let plump 5 minutes. Pour 2 cups boiling water over raisins, and let plump 5 minutes. Fluff couscous, and drain raisins.
5 Serve Stew with couscous, raisins, and harissa.
Nutrition Information
- Calories 327
- Carbohydrate Content 66 g
- Cholesterol Content 0 mg
- Fat Content 4 g
- Fiber Content 9 g
- Protein Content 9 g
- Saturated Fat Content 0.5 g
- Sodium Content 136 mg
- Sugar Content 23 g