Couscous With Winter Squash And Chickpeas

Amarante

Tue, Oct 31 2023, 2:54 pm

This was excellent. It could be a very hearty side or excellent as a main if you are feeding a vegetarian or just want a vegetarian meal

The long list of ingredients is mainly spices. Using pre chunked squash eliminates that prep so essentially this is more just combining ingredients.

COUSCOUS WITH WINTER SQUASH AND CHICKPEAS

Excerpt From: Leah Koenig - Modern Jewish Cooking: Recipes & Customs for Today's Kitchen.

In Morocco, Jews customarily serve couscous topped with a stew of seven vegetables on Rosh Hashanah—the number seven representing that the holiday falls on the seventh month of the Jewish calendar. In addition to adding flavor to the final dish, each vegetable holds some symbolic significance. This riff on the traditional couscous dish is brightly colored with butternut squash and tomatoes, sweetened with golden raisins, enriched with chickpeas, and perfumed with a heady mixture of garlic and spices. Measure all of the spices before you start cooking, so you can add them all at once.

SERVES 6 TO 8

1/4 CUP/60 ML EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
2 YELLOW ONIONS, HALVED THROUGH THE ROOT AND THINLY SLICED
4 RIPE PLUM TOMATOES, CORED, SEEDED, AND CHOPPED
2 GARLIC CLOVES, FINELY CHOPPED
1 TSP GROUND CINNAMON
1 TSP GROUND GINGER
1/2 TSP GROUND CUMIN
1/2 TSP GROUND CORIANDER
1 TSP GROUND SWEET PAPRIKA
1/2 TSP RED PEPPER FLAKES
ONE 15-OZ/430-G CAN CHICKPEAS, RINSED AND DRAINED
3 CUPS/385 G CUBED PEELED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
2 CARROTS, PEELED, HALVED LENGTHWISE, AND CUT INTO 1/2-IN/12-MM CHUNKS
1/4 CUP/45 G GOLDEN RAISINS
21/2 CUPS/600 ML VEGETABLE BROTH
KOSHER SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
21/2 CUPS/600 ML WATER
2 CUPS/330 G COUSCOUS
ROUGHLY CHOPPED FRESH CILANTRO OR FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, FOR SERVING

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until fragrant 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Add the chickpeas, squash, carrots, raisins, broth, and 1 tsp salt. Season with pepper and bring the mixture to a simmer. Turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the squash and carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until very slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and season with more salt, if desired.

3. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a separate medium saucepan set over high heat. Once boiling, turn off the heat and immediately stir in the couscous. Cover the pan and let stand until the “Cover the pan and let stand until the liquid is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Uncover the couscous and fluff with a fork. Mound the couscous onto a large serving platter. Make a wide well in the center and use a slotted spoon to fill it with the vegetables and chickpeas. Spoon a generous amount of the liquid over the couscous and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve immediately