Couscous aux Sept Légumes
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Couscous — 2 cups (350 g / 12 oz)
- Carrots, sliced — 2
- Turnips, cubed — 2
- Courgette, sliced — 1
- Small pumpkin wedge, cubed — 1
- Cabbage, chopped — 1 cup
- Chickpeas, cooked — 1 cup (170 g / 6 oz)
- Onion, chopped — 1
- Ground cumin — 1 tsp
- Paprika — 1 tsp
- Oil — 3 tbsp
- Bouillon cube — 1
- Water — 5 cups (1.2 litres / 40 fl oz)
- Salt and pepper — to taste
Method
- Heat the oil in a large pot and sauté the onion until softened.
- Stir in the cumin and paprika, cooking briefly.
- Add the water, bouillon cube, carrots and turnips, and bring to a boil.
- Simmer for 15 minutes, then add the pumpkin, cabbage and chickpeas, continuing to simmer for a further 15–20 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.
- Add the courgette in the last 5 minutes so it doesn't overcook.
- Meanwhile, prepare the couscous according to package instructions, steaming or fluffing with a fork after hydrating.
- Season the vegetable broth with salt and pepper.
- Mound the couscous on a large platter and top with the vegetables, spooning over plenty of broth.
Introduction: A generous main course of steamed couscous topped with seven different vegetables simmered in a lightly spiced broth, traditionally served on Fridays.
Cultural Background: The seven-vegetable couscous follows a wider Maghrebi tradition of a special Friday meal, adapted in Mauritania with the vegetables that are seasonally available, symbolising abundance and shared family time at the end of the week.
Tips: Add the vegetables in stages according to how long each takes to cook, so nothing turns to mush. Keep some extra broth aside to moisten the couscous generously when serving.
Variations: Add a piece of lamb or chicken to the broth for a heartier, meat-based version. Include raisins in the broth for a hint of traditional sweetness.
Storage: Refrigerate couscous and vegetables separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Reheat the vegetables and broth on the stovetop; refresh the couscous with a splash of water and steam or microwave briefly.
Nutrition: Per serving (approx.): 380 kcal, 12 g protein, 10 g fat, 62 g carbohydrate.
FAQs:
Q: Do the vegetables have to be exactly seven?
A: Tradition favours seven for symbolic reasons, but
Q: Can this be made vegetarian?
A: Yes, it is naturally vegetarian as written, using vegetable
- Couscous — 2 cups (350 g / 12 oz)
- Carrots, sliced — 2
- Turnips, cubed — 2
- Courgette, sliced — 1
- Small pumpkin wedge, cubed — 1
- Cabbage, chopped — 1 cup
- Chickpeas, cooked — 1 cup (170 g / 6 oz)
- Onion, chopped — 1
- Ground cumin — 1 tsp
- Paprika — 1 tsp
- Oil — 3 tbsp
- Bouillon cube — 1
- Water — 5 cups (1.2 litres / 40 fl oz)
- Salt and pepper — to taste
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