Vegan Couscous with an Exotic Flair

Vegetable couscous in a savory broth simmered with spices and Japanese Miso, served with greens drizzled with hummus sauce and served with a bitter cherry compote

Sweet and salty vegetable stew served with couscous with a savoury Miso sauce

This is a very easy recipe to prepare, and it will make your taste buds travel with its aromatic spicy notes! The broth is flavored with a cinnamon stick, anise stars, cloves and Miso. A balanced vegan meal that will appeal to the whole family. For a gluten-free version of this recipe, substitute the couscous with quinoa.

Vegan couscous served with a compote of bitter cherries, greens, hummus sauce and black sesame seeds

Ingredients

For the couscous

2 cups of uncooked couscous

2 cups of water

1 tbsp vegan or regular butter

For the stewed vegetables with spices

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into coins

1 sweet potato, cut into small cubes

1L vegetable broth or 800 ml if using a slow cooker

2 cups cooked chickpeas

2 medium white potatoes, cubed

1/4 cup of dried raisins (optional)

2 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage (optional)

3 tablespoons Miso paste

1 onion, cut into wedges

1 cinnamon stick

2 tsp chopped garlic

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp harissa (or substitute sambal oelek)

1/4 tsp ginger

2 cloves

1 Bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

Easy vegan meal option : a vegetable stew served with couscous

Preparation on the stove (see below for Crockpot/slow-cooker cooking instruction)

1. Boil the water in a medium pot. Add the couscous, stir, put the lid on and remove from heat.

2. In a large pot, combine all the ingredients for the stew. Bring everything to a boil, stir and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let simmer for about 1 hour or until the potatoes are cooked. Season to taste and remove the cinnamon stick, Bay leaf and cloves.

3. Remove the lid from your couscous pot and add the butter. Using a fork, scrape the couscous so that it falls apart and the grains are fairly well separated from each other (eliminate the clumps). Season to taste.

4. Serve the couscous in four bowls, add the stewed vegetables on top and drizzle with sauce. This dish pairs very well with a fresh salad drizzled with your favorite creamy sauce!

Bon appétit!

Preparation for Crockpot (slow cooker) cooking

1. Add all the ingredients for the stewed vegetables to your slow cooker and leave dial on low heat for 6 hours, or high heat for 4h ; until the potatoes are cooked and tender.

2. Season to taste and remove the cinnamon stick, Bay leaf and cloves.

3. Follow the instructions on the packaging for the couscous. Remove the lid from your couscous pot and add the butter. Using a fork, scrape the couscous so that it falls apart and the grains are fairly well separated from each other (eliminate the clumps). Season to taste.

4. Serve the couscous in four bowls, add the stewed vegetables on top and drizzle with sauce. This dish pairs very well with a fresh salad drizzled with your favorite creamy sauce!

Bon appétit!

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