The spices in this hearty vegetable stew are classic flavors of North African cooking—a mix of sweet, savory, bright, and earthy all in one dish. Saffron may be the world’s most expensive spice, but this recipe, like most, only calls for a small amount. This dish also calls for sweet paprika, which usually refers to a milder form of the spice.

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By Del Sroufe,

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, cut into ½-inch slices
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger
  • 1½ tablespoons sweet paprika
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • Two 1-inch pieces cinnamon stick
  • 8 cups Vegetable Stock, or low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 medium butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch pieces
  • 1 turnip, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 russet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
  • One 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas, or one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
  • 2 large pinches saffron, soaked for 15 minutes in ¼ cup warm water
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • ½ cup finely chopped cilantro

Instructions

  • Place the onion, carrots, and celery in a large pot and sauté for 10 minutes.
  • Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic, ginger, paprika, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon sticks and cook for 3 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, squash, turnip, potato, tomatoes, and chickpeas and bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Add the mint and the saffron with its soaking water and season the stew with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes more, or until the vegetables are tender.
  • Serve garnished with the cilantro.
Nutritional Information:

Per serving (¼ of recipe): 329 calories, 68 g carbohydrates, 12.9 g protein, 3.6 g total fat, 0.45 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 490 mg sodium, 13.8 g fiber, 21 g sugar

Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.

Comments (2)

(5 from 1 vote)

Recipe Rating

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Harry

No nutritional info

Kate T.

Nourishing, hearty, and delicious! Spices culminate in a rich flavor reminiscent of a Moroccan tagine. I added parsnips because the grocery store was low on turnips; I'd guess that this would taste great with any root veg. I also added some vegan sausage after soup was cooked for a little oomph. Two cups of chickpeas seemed a little too much, so I dialed it back. Overall, a total win.

About the Author

Headshot of Def Sroufe

About the Author

Del Sroufe

Chef Del Sroufe currently works as Culinary Specialist at the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies (CNS) and host of CNS Kitchen, a free CNS community that offers members all the tools they need to live a successful whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) lifestyle. Sroufe has been cooking in vegetarian, vegan, and WFPB kitchens for 34 years. He has operated his own vegan bakery and a vegan meal-delivery service. He was the executive chef at Wellness Forum Foods, where he ran a successful catering service. He developed a line of in-the-bag mixes that could be shipped all over the country and taught cooking classes to the public and health care professionals looking to offer culinary education to their clients. Del is a public speaker and cookbook author. His first cookbook, Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook, was on the New York Times Bestseller list for more than 37 weeks. He also authored Better Than Vegan, which tells the story of his struggle with weight management and how he lost more than 200 pounds on a low-fat, plant-based diet. Sroufe’s other cookbooks include The China Study Quick and Easy Cookbook and The China Study Family Cookbook.
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