Couscous with Vegetables

Name: Couscous with Vegetables
Yield: makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter or extra virgin olive oil; 2 large onions, roughly chopped; 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped; Salt and black pepper to taste; 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger; 1 large pinch of saffron threads or 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 3 cloves; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 4 medium carrots, roughly chopped; 1 pound winter squash, like butternut or pumpkin, trimmed and cut into chunks; 2 medium zucchini, cut into chunks; 1 cup or more chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, preferably homemade (page 160 or 162), or water; 2 cups cooked (page 431) or canned chickpeas; 1/2 cup raisins; 1 recipe Couscous or Couscous with Butter or Oil (preceding recipe)

December 14, 2011

A hearty, delicious vegetable stew, whose ingredients can be varied however you like. Chickpeas and squash—both summer (zucchini) and winter (pumpkin or butternut)—are the most commonly included vegetables.

Recipe information

Yield
makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter or extra virgin olive oil

2 large onions, roughly chopped

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

1 large pinch of saffron threads or 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground coriander

3 cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 medium carrots, roughly chopped

1 pound winter squash, like butternut or pumpkin, trimmed and cut into chunks

2 medium zucchini, cut into chunks

1 cup or more chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, preferably homemade (page 160 or 162), or water

2 cups cooked (page 431) or canned chickpeas

1/2 cup raisins

1 recipe Couscous or Couscous with Butter or Oil (preceding recipe)

Preparation

Step 1
Put the butter in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole with a lid over medium heat. A minute or two later, add the onions and bell pepper, along with a couple of pinches of salt and at least 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (you should really taste the pepper in this dish). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are quite tender, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger, saffron, cayenne, coriander, cloves, and cinnamon and stir.
Step 2
Add the carrots, winter squash, and zucchini, along with a cup of stock. Turn the heat to low, cover, and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers steadily. Cook until the carrots are tender, 20 to 30 minutes, checking and adding a bit more liquid if the mixture threatens to dry out. Add the chickpeas and raisins and cook for another 10 minutes, adding liquid if the mixture is dry, raising the heat and boiling some of it off if the mixture seems too soupy (it should be like a stew).
Step 3
Taste and adjust the seasoning; the flavors of black pepper and cayenne should be pronounced. Serve immediately over the couscous.

The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.

TagsStew Soup/Stew Couscous Pasta Chickpea Bean and Legume Vegetable Butternut Squash Squash Pumpkin Zucchini Summer Squash Main Dinner Nut Free One-Pot Meals Cookbooks

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Recipe notes