Seven-Vegetable Couscous

Seven is a lucky number in Jewish tradition, so a soup or stew featuring seven vegetables is a Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) favorite among Sephardic Jews. Despite the longish ingredient list, it's easy and quick enough to serve as a mid-week main dish even if you don't observe the Jewish New Year. Feel free to replace other veggies for the ones listed below. Want a gluten-free version? Substitute  quinoa for the couscous. From Vegan Holiday Kitchen. Photo by Susan Voisin, FatFree Vegan Kitchen.

Seven-Vegetable Couscous

Despite the longish ingredient list, this is easy and quick enough to serve as a mid-week main dish even if you don't observe the Jewish New Year.

4.67 from 3 votes

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Course: Grain main dish / Jewish New Year

Cuisine: Jewish holiday / Vegan

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: couscous and vegetables, couscous recipe, Vegetable Couscous

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 315kcal

Author: Veg Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups couscous preferably whole grain
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegan buttery spread like Earth Balance
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 heaping cup thinly shredded green cabbage
• 1 medium turnip peeled and diced
• 1 medium yellow summer squash halved lengthwise and sliced l/4-inch thick
• 1 medium zucchini halved lengthwise and sliced l/4-inch thick
• 1 ½ cups cooked or canned drained and rinsed chickpeas
• 1 ½ cups diced ripe tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh or jarred ginger
• ½ teaspoon each: ground cumin coriander, turmeric and salt

Garnish:

• ½ cup golden raisins or finely chopped dried apricots
• ⅓ cup minced fresh parsley
• ½ cup sliced or slivered toasted almonds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Combine the couscous and 3 cups boiling water in a heatproof bowl. Cover and let stand until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then stir in the margarine, turmeric and salt. Cover and set aside.
• For the vegetable stew, heat the oil in a large saucepan or soup pot. Add the onions and sauté over moderate heat until translucent. Stir in cabbage and sauté until both it and the onion are lightly golden.
• Add remaining stew ingredients. Bring to a simmer, then over and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes. Add water as needed to produce a moist, but not soupy, consistency. The vegetables should be tender, but still firm.
• To serve, arrange the couscous on the outer edge of a large serving platter. Pour vegetable mixture in the center, then sprinkle with the garnishes. Let each guest place a mound of couscous on their dinner plate and top it with the vegetable mixture.

Nutrition

Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 430mg | Potassium: 739mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 722IU | Vitamin C: 63mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 2mg

Vegan-ize any recipe!Grab our free vegan cheat sheet, packed with my favorite easy substitutions to make any recipe vegan.

Variation: For a gluten-free variation, use quinoa in place of couscous. Use 1 ½ cups quinoa, and simmer gently in 3 cups water until the water is absorbed.

• Here are more recipes and mix-and-match menus for the Jewish New Year.
• Find more ways to make Special Occasions and Entertaining easier and healthier.