A departure from classic American stews, this traditional and comforting dish features a combination of familiar tastes that make it a real crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 3/4 to 1 pound)
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes with juice
- 1 large carrot, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups green beans, snapped into smaller pieces
- 1 small summer squash, quartered and and cut into large chunks
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
FOR THE COUSCOUS:
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large (8-quart) pot, heat the oil over medium heat for 1 or 2 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and saute them until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves and cook the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, chicken thighs, and tomatoes and bring the stew to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer the stew with the pot covered for 25 minutes.
- Stir in the carrots, green beans, squash, chickpeas, and salt. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and using the edge of the spoon to break the chicken and tomato chunks into smaller pieces.
- Add the raisins. Turn the heat back up to medium and continue simmering the covered stew until the vegetables are tender (10 or so minutes more). Add more salt, if desired. Ladle the stew into shallow bowls around a mound of couscous. Serves 4 to 6.
- To make the couscous, combine the broth and water in a saucepan and bring them to a boil. Quickly stir in the couscous. Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork before serving.
