Harissa Vegetable Stew!  Bursting with comforting flavors and packed with hearty, nutritious veggies, this Harissa Vegetable Stew is sure to tantalize your taste buds. Elevate your dining experience by serving this delectable stew with a generous dollop of creamy hummus or velvety yogurt to create a satisfying contrast of flavors.

Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.

Hi there, Ameera here!                   

This stew really hit the spot. We loved the play of spicy harissa and sweet apricots. Don’t forget the essential finishing touch – a dollop of creamy hummus.

You gotta give this one a try!

Tips for Success:

• Flavor Profile: This deliciously flavorful stew features spicy Middle Eastern harissa heat that is cooled with a dollop of hummus or yogurt. Dried apricots or raisins adds a bit of sweetness to contrast the spiciness.
• Harissa Seasoning: It is best to start on the lower amount, 3 teaspoons and work up to 4, if needed. Our family was totally divided over the amount of harissa seasoning.  Harissa has some heat to it, so if you have concerns start even lower.
• Potatoes: 3 cups of red-skinned potatoes were approximately 3 to 4 medium potatoes, cubed.  You can use either red or white potatoes (unpeeled) or regular Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 5/8^th-inch cubes.  Monitor your cooking times carefully so that your potatoes do not become overly done.  Additionally, if you plan to serve it with a starch (couscous, rice, etc.) you may wish to skip the potatoes.  They are not an essential ingredient. We enjoyed them in the stew.
• Grated Carrots: We used a vegetable julienne peeler to cut the carrots into long thin strips, then cut those into small pieces.  We used matchstick carrots in previous kitchen tests, and while grated carrots work perfectly in this recipe, we really enjoyed the texture of the peeled julienne carrots and matchstick carrots. We tried diced carrots as well, they were just a tad too crunchy. We suggest grated or julienned carrots.  For those interested, we used a Kuhn Rikon Julienne Peeler.
• Dried Apricots: The amount of apricots is another area that our family was divided upon.  The apricots sweetened the stew broth.  The more you use, the sweeter the broth.  We suggest starting on the low side and adding more as needed.  Using dried apricots in savory dishes is very common of North African cuisines.
• Dried Apricot Substitutions: If you don’t have dried apricots, you can substitute with golden raisins or regular raisins.  We ran out of dried apricots and used ¼ cup of golden raisins in our photoshoot.
• Maple Syrup: The maple syrup can be optional. The use of it if based upon personal preference.  We used it because our raisins were not very sweet for some odd reason.  Start on the low side and wait until the end to determine if it is needed or not.
• Baking Soda: Baking soda is often used as a neutralizer for dishes that contain a lot of acidity, typically from tomatoes.  We use it in this dish to remove some of the tomato acidity (from the petite diced tomatoes) without losing the tomatoey flavor. When you add it, the mixture may bubble up, then settle down as it neutralizes the acidity. However, if you prefer that ‘tinny’ flavor that comes from canned tomatoes, then leave out the baking soda or perhaps use a tiny pinch.
• Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a very common spice that is added to savory dishes in the Middle Eastern Cuisine.  If you are unsure, feel free to skip it or add just a tiny pinch.
• Hummus or Plant Yogurt: Using a dollop of hummus or unsweetened plain plant yogurt gives the dish a cooling contrast to the heat of the harissa.  It is totally optional.  We absolutely loved it and strongly endorse a dollop of hummus to give your taste buds a special treat.
• Flavors to Marry: Make sure you allow at least 5 minutes for the flavors to marry after mashing the beans and soup broth.  The flavors continue to develop once the soup slightly cools.
• Low Fat Dish Expectations: This dish is designed to be a low-fat dish.  It is not going to taste as decadent as a dish that has a higher fat content.  It is very delicious, but we want to make sure the reader understands this.
• Couscous: We cooked the couscous by adding ¼ teaspoon of turmeric to the boiling water to turn it yellow. You cannot taste the turmeric.

Leftovers and Freezing:

Leftovers will generally keep 5 days in the refrigerator.  Store in a covered container.

This dish can be frozen.

Pantry Products:

• Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients. Feel free to use your favorite vegetable broth.
• Tamari: We used San J Tamari Soy Sauce, Gluten Free, Reduced Sodium. You can substitute the tamari with reduced sodium soy sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Braggs Coconut Liquid Aminos.
• Harissa Seasoning: We used Frontier Co-Op Harissa Seasoning-North African Heat.  Feel free to use your favorite Harissa Seasoning or create your own mix.
• Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

Kitchen Products:

• Large skillet (or stockpot)

Harissa Vegetable Stew

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
• Prep Time: 20 Minutes
• Cook Time: 50-65 Minutes
• Total Time: 70 Minutes (+Rest Time)
• Yield: 5-6 Servings 1x
• Category: Stew
• Method: Stovetop
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Bursting with comforting flavors and packed with hearty, nutritious veggies, this Harissa Vegetable Stew is sure to tantalize your taste buds.

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Ingredients

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Base Ingredients:

• 1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
• 1 red bell pepper, small dice
• 1 carrot, grated *
• 2 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth *
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari *
• 1 – [ 14 oz. can ] petite diced tomatoes
• 1 – [ 15 oz. can ] chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, 5/8-inch cubes *
• 4 to 8 dried apricots, quartered (or ¼ cup golden raisins)
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda * 

Spice/Herb Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 Tablespoon dried minced onions
• 2 – 3 teaspoons harissa seasoning *
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• Pinch cinnamon (optional)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) * 

Other Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon tahini *
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup (+/-) *
• 2 cups chopped baby kale (or baby spinach)

Optional Toppings:

• Hummus
• Fresh chopped cilantro
• Plant Yogurt

Serving Ideas:

• Flatbread
• Couscous (quinoa or rice)

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Instructions

1. Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
2. In a large skillet or pot, add the diced onions, carrots, and red bell peppers, sauté over medium-high heat until the veggies begin to soften, approximately 7 to 9 minutes, stirring periodically to prevent burning. Add a tablespoon or so of water if they start to stick and/or to prevent burning.
3. Add the minced garlic and minced ginger sauté for 30 seconds, then add all the remaining Base Ingredients (except the baking soda) and Spice/Herb Mix, stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower to a low-boiling simmer, stir in the baking soda to combine.  Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until the potatoes are perfectly tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Once the potatoes are tender, add the tahini and maple syrup, stirring to thicken the stew, then add the chopped baby kale. Simmer for several minutes.
5. Remove the stew from the stove and allow to sit for 5 minutes for the flavors to marry. Serve over couscous (or quinoa) with some freshly chopped cilantro and a dollop of hummus (or plant yogurt).

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Notes

*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.

*Sea Salt:  Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.   

*Servings: 5 to 6