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.
Recipe
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.
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Servings:
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
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 (Estimate per Serving)
Calories: 315kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 10gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 430mgPotassium: 739mgFiber: 9gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 722IUVitamin C: 63mgCalcium: 118mgIron: 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.
Shirlee says
Another great recipe, Thanks Nava!!
Gerde says
Thanx for this recipe; I'm making it for Rosh Hashanah this week.
Nava says
I hope you and yours enjoy it, Gerde!
Darlene Damgo says
wow thank you for posting vegan recipes love it