Awesome Vegetable Couscous
A great stand alone vegetarian meal or top it with a fillet of grilled chicken or a white fleshed fish fillet.
Yield
16 servingsPrep
½ hrsCook
2 hrsReady
2⅔ hrsIngredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | litres |
vegetable stock
The best you can find - not stock cubes |
*
|
| 2 | large |
carrots
washed unpeeled - roughly chopped |
|
| 3 | stalks |
celery
washed - roughly chopped |
*
|
| 2 | large |
onions
washed - unpeeled; each chopped into 6 pieces |
|
| 2 | large |
tomatoes
washed and roughly chopped |
|
| 12 |
black peppercorns
|
*
|
|
| 2 |
bay leaves
|
*
|
|
| 3 | stalks |
italian parsley
|
*
|
| 6 | tablespoons |
olive oil, extra-virgin
|
|
| 1 | medium |
red onion
peeled and finely chopped |
|
| 1 | teaspoon |
cumin
|
|
| 1 | teaspoon |
paprika
|
|
| 1 | teaspoon |
cinnamon
|
|
| 1 | pinch |
saffron threads
|
*
|
| ½ | teaspoon |
chili pepper flakes
dried chili |
* |
| 1 | tablespoon |
tomato paste
|
|
| 400 | grams |
tomatoes, canned
|
|
| 8 |
baby carrots
peeled left whole - leave 1/2 inch of the green tops on |
*
|
|
| 4 |
turnip
small baby - peeled and each cut into 4 - leave 1/2 inch of the green stalks attached |
*
|
|
| 4 |
zucchini
small baby - halved length ways then each half cut into 3 |
*
|
|
| 1 |
sweet red bell peppers
red bell pepper sliced into 1/4 inch strips |
*
|
|
| 400 | grams |
chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
canned - drained and washed |
|
| 200 | grams |
beans
fresh green baby - topped and left whole |
|
| 2 | tablespoons |
raisins, seedless
|
|
| 400 | grams |
couscous
|
|
| 1 | tablespoon |
butter
|
|
| 1 | bunch |
cilantro
corriander - small bunch leaves picked |
*
|
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | litres |
vegetable stock
The best you can find - not stock cubes |
*
|
| 2 | large |
carrots
washed unpeeled - roughly chopped |
|
| 3 | stalks |
celery
washed - roughly chopped |
*
|
| 2 | large |
onions
washed - unpeeled; each chopped into 6 pieces |
|
| 2 | large |
tomatoes
washed and roughly chopped |
|
| 12 | each |
black peppercorns
|
*
|
| 2 | each |
bay leaves
|
*
|
| 3 | stalks |
italian parsley
|
*
|
| 9E+1 | ml |
olive oil, extra-virgin
|
|
| 1 | medium |
red onion
peeled and finely chopped |
|
| 5 | ml |
cumin
|
|
| 5 | ml |
paprika
|
|
| 5 | ml |
cinnamon
|
|
| 1 | pinch |
saffron threads
|
*
|
| 2.5 | ml |
chili pepper flakes
dried chili |
* |
| 15 | ml |
tomato paste
|
|
| 4E+2 | grams |
tomatoes, canned
|
|
| 8 | each |
baby carrots
peeled left whole - leave 1/2 inch of the green tops on |
*
|
| 4 | each |
turnip
small baby - peeled and each cut into 4 - leave 1/2 inch of the green stalks attached |
*
|
| 4 | each |
zucchini
small baby - halved length ways then each half cut into 3 |
*
|
| 1 | each |
sweet red bell peppers
red bell pepper sliced into 1/4 inch strips |
*
|
| 4E+2 | grams |
chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
canned - drained and washed |
|
| 2E+2 | grams |
beans
fresh green baby - topped and left whole |
|
| 3E+1 | ml |
raisins, seedless
|
|
| 4E+2 | grams |
couscous
|
|
| 15 | ml |
butter
|
|
| 1 | bunch |
cilantro
corriander - small bunch leaves picked |
*
|
Directions
This dish is all about the quality of your ingredients. Use the very best vegetable stock you can find and boost it as follows:
Put the stock into a stock pot over heat on the stove. Add the chopped large carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes, pepper corns, bay leaves and parsley and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer for at least 1 hour - longer if you have time. Strain your stock and press as much of the precious juices out of the cooked vegetables as you go. Reserve the stock and put the spent vegetables into your compost bin or discard.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in large heavy based saucepan (a heavy casserole with a lid is ideal) and cook onions until soft; add the spices and ½ teaspoon salt and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the stock, tomatoes and tomato paste & simmer gently for 30 minutes or so.
The idea is to time your cooking of the vegetable so that they are cooked through but not too soft when you serve the meal.
Add the baby carrots & simmer for 5 minutes; add the baby turnips & simmer for a further 5 minutes; add the zucchini, capsicum, chickpeas, sultanas, and beans and simmer for 10 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking….
Place couscous in a heat proof bowl and pour over 500ml of boiling water. Add two tablespoons olive oil, the butter and salt and mix through. Cover and place in a low oven for 15 minutes to keep warm. Stir half the coriander through the couscous with a fork, breaking up any lumps.
Best served at the table - the aroma when you lift the lid on the vegetable 'soup' is fantastic. To serve put a mini mountain of couscous in each bowl. Put a selection of the vegetables on top and around. Add a ladle or so of the soup. Pop a piece of grilled fish on top if you wish. Thank you Terry.
