Recipe

Moroccan Vegetable Couscous

Recipe
No Questions Yet

Photo by Margy@hidethecheese

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Carrot Recipe
Chef
Margy@hidethecheese's Notes: When I was a child, my family was living in Portugal and, on my seventh birthday, we took a boat trip to Morocco. My favorite part of the trip was when my family sang "Happy Birthday" to me...
When I was a child, my family was living in Portugal and, on my seventh birthday, we took a boat trip to Morocco. My favorite part of the trip was when my family sang "Happy Birthday" to me at dinner, and my younger sister approached all of the passengers who weren't singing and shamed them into joining in. My least favorite part of the trip was when we arrived in the port and some of the merchants offered to trade me for a toy camel. My parents thought it was funny, but I was afraid they'd accept.

Fast forward to last April when my husband and I traveled with our kids on our first trans-Atlantic trip to Paris. My husband ordered this Moroccan couscous for lunch one day and, much to my surprise, all of the kids loved it. I think the plethora of carrots and potatoes made it more palatable. When we got home, I hurried to recreate the dish before they forgot that they liked it.

If you can get ras-el-hanout, use it; otherwise, it is easy to make your own spice blend. The spices in my version are intensly flavorful, which is a nice complement to the mild couscous.

Expand Collapse

Serves 6

For the spice mixture, use 6 teaspoons ras-el-hanout or make your own blend::

1/2 teaspoon saffron Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon cumin Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon ground ginger Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon salt Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon turmeric Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon cardamom Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon coriander Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper Ask a question about this ingredient

To finish the dish::

1 tablespoon olive oil Ask a question about this ingredient

1 small onion, diced Ask a question about this ingredient

2 garlic cloves, chopped Ask a question about this ingredient

4 carrots, peeled and sliced Ask a question about this ingredient

1 potato, peeled and sliced Ask a question about this ingredient

1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes with their juice, chopped Ask a question about this ingredient

1 zucchini, sliced Ask a question about this ingredient

1 15-ounce can chick peas Ask a question about this ingredient

1 cup couscous Ask a question about this ingredient

Mix the spices in a small bowl with a whisk. Heat a large skilled over medium heat and add the spices. Toast them just until they are fragrant, probably less than a minute. Pour the spices back into a bowl and set them aside.
Ask a question about this step
Add the oil to the skillet turn the heat up to medium high. Add the onion and saute until it softens, about 7 minutes.
Ask a question about this step
Add the garlic, carrots, and potato and saute for a couple of minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices and the spice mixture. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the potatoes and carrots soften, about 20 minutes.
Ask a question about this step
Add the zucchini and chick peas and heat until the zucchini has cooked and the beans have heated through, about 5 minutes.
Ask a question about this step
When the vegetables have finished cooking, taste them and add more salt and pepper if you like. Heap the couscous in the middle of a large shallow bowl. Spoon the vegetable mixture over the top.
Ask a question about this step

3 Comments on Moroccan Vegetable Couscous

MrsBeeton added 7 months ago

This IS a one pot wonder! I managed to find ras-el-hanout (yes, in Vermont!) and it is my newest, best friend. Especially when I use it to flavor this delicious and easy stew. I love this vegetarian stew, and so did my family. I'll make this again and again. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.