Squash and Chickpea Moroccan Stew with Couscous (Chez Omar Style)

Ever since my meal at Chez Omar in Paris I’ve been dreaming about couscous with vegetable stew.  So of course I spent a while trying to find something to replicate it.

The closest I came was this recipe over at Smitten Kitchen. Interestingly enough their quest for a couscous recipe was triggered by a visit to Chez Omar too. I’m telling you, that place is magical!

I made a ton of changes to this recipe to bring it closer to my Chez Omar experience and to account for things that I wasn’t particularly interested in.  I scrapped the olives, preserved lemons and all the garnishes.  I added sweet potato, carrots, zucchini and celery.  I forgot to buy saffron so I didn’t use it.  To spice things up I added some paprika and some cayenne pepper.

This might be my new favourite dish.  It’s a great way to eat a ton of vegetables and still having a filling meal.  I can tell already that this might be the type of thing I make every other week. Loved it!

Squash and Chickpea Moroccan Stew

Serves 6 to 8

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound butternut squash, large dice
3/4 pound red potatoes, large dice
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices
Pinch saffron threads (optional)
1/2 preserved lemon, finely chopped
1 cup brined green olives
Steamed couscous, for serving
Fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, for garnish
Toasted slivered almonds, for garnish
Plain yogurt, for garnish
Hot sauce of your choice (for serving)

Heat butter and olive oil in a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight fitting lid over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add onion, garlic, cumin, and cinnamon, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spices are aromatic and onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add squash and potatoes, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, stir to coat, and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Add broth, chickpeas, tomatoes and their juices, and saffron, if using. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until squash is fork tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in preserved lemon and olives. Serve over couscous garnished with cilantro, almonds, and yogurt.

(Recipe via Smitten Kitchen which is an adaptation of this recipe)