Vegetarian Couscous

Sephardi Jews often hold a “seder” for Rosh Hashanah where special symbolic vegetables are served. This recipe includes most of these traditional vegetables. The beauty of this dish is that it can be made in advance and re-heated. It can easily be transported to a friend’s house or a sukkah.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 medium onion, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 2 carrots sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
  • 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock if not strictly vegetarian, divided use
  • 2 yellow crookneck squash, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
  • 2 small zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained (about 1 cup)
  • 4 Tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 1 cup couscous
  • finely minced parsley for garnish

Preparation Instructions

  1. Heat a large frying pan for 30 seconds and add the oil. Heat the oil for 15 seconds and then sauté the garlic and onion until lightly golden. DO NOT BURN THE GARLIC.
  2. Add the carrots, tomato sauce, raisins, salt, cumin and 1 cup of stock to the pan. Cover and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes or until the carrots are crisp tender.
  3. Add the crookneck squash, the zucchini and the chickpeas. Cook until the squashes are tender.
  4. In a large saucepan, heat the remaining 1 1/2 cups stock and butter or margarine. Add the couscous. Cover, remove from the heat, and allow the pan to sit for 5 minutes.
  5. To serve, spoon the couscous in the center of a large rimmed dish, and surround with the cooked vegetables. Pour the sauce evenly over all. Sprinkle with a little parsley for garnish if you like.
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