Vegetable Couscous

This is one of those recipes that transports you, for those of you who've never been, to our neighboring country, whether on a long weekend getaway or a long vacation. We recommend a visit to Morocco. Endless beaches with a multitude of peaks for surfing, super-hospitable people, spectacular landscapes, along the coast or deep into the Atlas... And above all, that gastronomy that, just thinking about it, makes our mouths water.

In today's recipe, we propose a vegan variation of this typical and delicious Moroccan dish.

VEGETABLE COUSCOUS

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 1 large tomato
• 2 Peppers
• 1 medium onion
• 2 Turnips
• 1 good piece of pumpkin
• 1 Zucchini
• 1 Col
• Wheat semolina (couscous)
• Raisins
• Plums
• Chickpeas (natural ones should be left in water for at least 4 hours)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cinnamon stick
• Ras el Hanout
• Parsley or cilantro
• Saffron or food coloring

Wow! So many ingredients... this must be a complicated recipe! Not at all. It's fun to make, but not difficult at all.

By the way, the ideal is to have a couscous maker , but if you don't have one, you can make it in any large pot. Everyone has a pressure cooker :)

1. Heat the pot with a good splash of olive oil. While it's heating, sauté the onion and pepper. Add it to the pot to make the sofrito.
2. Peel the tomato and add it, cut into large pieces, and let it sit for 5 minutes, stirring the sauce so it doesn't burn.
3. Then add the carrots, turnip, chickpeas, cinnamon stick, a tablespoon of salt, a tablespoon of ras el hanout, a pinch of pepper, saffron or food coloring, parsley, and a liter of water.
4. Let it boil for about 30 minutes.

WHEAT SEMOLINA

Cook the wheat semolina, pour it into a dish along with half a glass of water, a tablespoon of salt, and a dash of olive oil. Mix well and let it sit for a few minutes so the semolina absorbs the liquid.

• In a couscous maker: Place the semolina on top of the couscous maker so that it cooks with the steam generated by the vegetables and place a lid on top.
• In a Pot: Here you can use a colander and place it on the side of the pot, so it will cook with the steam from the vegetables.

After 30 minutes of cooking

1. Add the rest of the vegetables: the pumpkin chunks, zucchini, and cabbage leaves. These vegetables cook very quickly, so they're added at the end.
2. Let it boil for another 15 minutes and remove from the heat.
3. Finally, add the raisins and prunes and let it rest for 5 minutes.

And now we have an incredible Vegetable Couscous ready.

Serve it on a nice platter with the vegetables arranged so that each diner can serve themselves to their liking. If anyone likes spicy food, don't forget to add harissa (Moroccan hot pepper) to each dish after serving. It's one of our favorites and a great flavor enhancer. Happy journey to your palates!

BON APPETIT