Equipment
Ingredients
Vegetable and Bean Stew
- 15 ml olive oil
- 150 g yellow onion, diced
- 150 g carrots, peeled and diced
- 150 g red bell pepper, cored and diced
- 15 g garlic, minced
- 200 g zucchini, diced
- 400 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 480 ml low-sodium vegetable broth
- 250 g cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 g sweet paprika
- 2 g smoked paprika
- 1 g cayenne pepper
Couscous Base
- 200 g dry couscous
- 240 ml water
- 15 ml olive oil
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Dice the yellow onion, carrots, red bell pepper, and zucchini into uniform pieces to ensure even cooking.
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté the diced onion, carrots, and red bell pepper until the onions become translucent and the vegetables begin to soften.
Stir the minced garlic, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper into the vegetable mixture to toast the spices and release their natural oils.
Pour the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth into the pot, followed by the diced zucchini and drained cannellini beans. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and allow it to cook until the zucchini is very tender.
In a separate medium saucepan, bring the water and olive oil to a full boil at 100 degrees Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour over the dry couscous, cover tightly, and remove from heat to let the grains absorb the liquid.
Fluff the rested couscous with a fork to separate the grains, then plate into shallow serving bowls. Ladle the hot vegetable and white bean stew generously over the top.
Chef's Notes
- Blooming the paprika and cayenne in the hot oil before adding your liquids is crucial. This technique extracts the fat-soluble flavor compounds from the spices, resulting in a much richer, smokier base.
- This dish is an exceptional candidate for meal prep. The flavors of the tomato broth and the vegetables will continue to meld and deepen overnight in the refrigerator.
- To customize the texture, you can add the zucchini in the last ten minutes of simmering rather than the full twenty minutes if you prefer a firmer bite.
- Ensure your canned crushed tomatoes are of high quality, as they form the backbone of the broth. If they taste slightly acidic out of the can, a tiny pinch of sugar during the simmer can restore balance.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store the stew and the couscous in separate airtight containers to prevent the couscous from becoming overly soggy.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze the vegetable stew only. Prepare fresh couscous when reheating.
Reheating: Warm the stew gently on the stovetop until simmering, ensuring it reaches 74C or 165F. Microwave the couscous with a splash of water to refresh its texture.
