Moroccan Vegetable Stew With Dried Figs and Fresh Mint

Moroccan vegetable stew is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods.  It is hearty, healthy, warm and filling. And the perk: it’s really easy to make and seems to actually improve after a day in the fridge so it’s ideal for leftovers.

Never tasted Moroccan food? Well you are in for a treat! Moroccan cuisine is wonderfully fragrant and full of exotic herbs and spices like cumin, ginger, saffron and mint.  It often includes dried fruits like dates, figs, and apricots which are sweet, juicy and add distinctive texture.

This particular stew is full of great vegetables like cauliflower, zucchini and carrots as well as protein-packed chickpeas.   It is loaded with aromatic spices like cardamom and cumin and sweetened with raisins and dried figs.

While you can choose to use the spices in this recipe, you can also substitute them for a teaspoon or two of Foodal’s homemade ras el hanout spice blend.

The figs are the hero in the dish; they nearly disappear except for the subtle crunch of their tiny seeds as they pop and explode with every bite leaving behind just a hint of sweetness to balance the spice.

Once adorned with yogurt, toasted almonds and fresh mint this dish is no longer just some run-of-the-mill mid-week stew but an exotic North African celebration packed full of exciting and unique flavors. Serve it best over couscous or with flat bread (called khubz) and a quaff of heavily sweetened mint tea.

Moroccan Vegetable Stew With Dried Figs and Fresh Mint

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• Author: Raquel Smith
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

A Moroccan vegetable stew that is hearty, healthy, warm and filling and is full of healthy veggies and legumes including cauliflower, zucchini and carrots as well as protein-packed chickpeas. Mint gives it a lively flavor while the dried figs which give it a slight sweetness that offset the spicy tastes of cardamom and cumin.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Vegetable Stew

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tablespoon cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 yellow squash cut into half moons and sliced
• 2 cups carrots, chopped (approx. 3 large carrots)
• 1 head cauliflower
• 3 cups zucchini, chopped (approx. 1 large zucchini)
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 28 fl. oz. can diced tomatoes and their fluid
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1 28 fl. oz. can garbanzo beans
• 1 cup calimyrna figs, chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins, pre-soaked 15 minutes in warm water to plump

Garnish

• 1/2 cup full fat plain yogurt*
• 1/2 cup toasted Almonds, chopped
• fresh mint, chopped finely

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Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot and sauté onions, garlic, salt and pepper until onions are translucent
2. Add cardamom, cumin, squash, carrots, cauliflower and zucchini and sauté 5 mins.
3. Add curry powder, turmeric and cayenne pepper and stir to combine.
4. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garbanzo beans, figs and raisins. Simmer over medium-low heat 15 minutes
5. To serve top with yogurt, toasted almonds, and mint. Serve alone, or accompany with flat bread or couscous.

Notes

*Use a non-dairy alternative plain yogurt for a vegan meal.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Soups and Stews
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Moroccan

Keywords: Moroccan, stew, yogurt, cardamom, cumin, spicy, mint, vegetables, healthy

What about you? Did you try this dish and love it as much as I did? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

About Raquel Smith

Raquel is a whole foods enthusiast, an avid mountain biker, and a dog lover. She works by day at Food Blogger Pro and formerly maintained her food blog "My California Roots" (now merged into Foodal).

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