Spiced Vegetable Stew

By: Daniel Lucas

Dish: Vegetable
Season: Summer
Source: Clifford Wright
Servings: 4-6
Need help? Read the guide

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 cup chickpea broth, or another cup of vegetable broth
  • 2 cups brown rice
  • 1 onion, julienned
  • 2 zucchini, julienned
  • 1 medium eggplant, see method for details
  • 2 red bell peppers, julienned
  • 1 bunch spinach, chopped
  • 4 tomatoes, diced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • paprika
  • oregano
  • lemon
  • mint
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper

Originally adapted from Clifford Wright’s Arab-Andalusia Vegetable Ragout, this dish attempts to capture the essence of the cooking styles prevalent in the Maghreb which are influenced heavily by the ancient cuisine of the Middle East. This is a fantastic summer stew marries the trinity of highly seasonal Solanums—tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplant—into a single preparation. If it’s too hot outside, you can eat it chilled or at room temperature. Also, don’t be afraid to season heavily, after all, it is a spiced stew.

Method

  1. Add rice and water to a medium-size saucepan in a ration of 2 parts water to 1 part rice, bring to a boil, then lower heat. Cook ~45-55 minutes or until all the water is fully absorbed. Set aside and let cool for 10 minutes.
  2. Slice the eggplant into rounds, then salt to draw off the bitter moisture. Pat dry with paper towels, then cut into cubes.
  3. In a large pot, add olive oil and onion. Cook until onion is translucent.
  4. Add tomato paste and tomatoes and cook for ~10 minutes until the tomatoes begin to break down.
  5. Add zucchini, red bell peppers. Season with paprika and oregano, then cook for ~5-10 minutes.
  6. Add the vegetable and bean broths (or just vegetable broth). Bring to a boil.
  7. Add cooked chickpeas then lower the heat and simmer ragout for ~45 minutes.
  8. Add in spinach and cook for another ~5 minutes until melted.
  9. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and chopped mint and additional drizzle of olive oil.

Spiced Vegetable Stew

By: Daniel Lucas

Originally adapted from Clifford Wright’s Arab-Andalusia Vegetable Ragout, this dish attempts to capture the essence of the cooking styles prevalent in the Maghreb which are influenced heavily by the ancient cuisine of the Middle East. This is a fantastic summer stew marries the trinity of highly seasonal Solanums—tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplant—into a single preparation. If it’s too hot outside, you can eat it chilled or at room temperature. Also, don’t be afraid to season heavily, after all, it is a spiced stew.

Method

  1. Add rice and water to a medium-size saucepan in a ration of 2 parts water to 1 part rice, bring to a boil, then lower heat. Cook ~45-55 minutes or until all the water is fully absorbed. Set aside and let cool for 10 minutes.
  2. Slice the eggplant into rounds, then salt to draw off the bitter moisture. Pat dry with paper towels, then cut into cubes.
  3. In a large pot, add olive oil and onion. Cook until onion is translucent.
  4. Add tomato paste and tomatoes and cook for ~10 minutes until the tomatoes begin to break down.
  5. Add zucchini, red bell peppers. Season with paprika and oregano, then cook for ~5-10 minutes.
  6. Add the vegetable and bean broths (or just vegetable broth). Bring to a boil.
  7. Add cooked chickpeas then lower the heat and simmer ragout for ~45 minutes.
  8. Add in spinach and cook for another ~5 minutes until melted.
  9. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and chopped mint and additional drizzle of olive oil.

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