Author Notes
The heat of chile, spices of North Africa and earthiness of kale beautifully complement sweet butternut squash in this hearty ragout. Serve with couscous to soak up the juices. If you prefer an even richer stew, Italian sausage or chorizo may be added. Most likely, however, you will find that the meatless version is substantial and satisfying enough to win over any carnivore. —TasteFood
Ingredients
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Extra-virgin olive oil
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1
large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
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2
garlic cloves, minced
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2
red jalapeno or serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded, finely chopped
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1 teaspoon
ground cumin
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1/2 teaspoon
ground coriander
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1/2 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
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1
small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut in 3/4 inch cubes - about 4 cups
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3 1/2 cups
chicken stock, divided
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1
14 ounce can crushed plum tomatoes with juice
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1
15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
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Salt
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3 cups
kale leaves, tough stems removed, torn in pieces
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2 cups
couscous
Directions
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Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a deep sauté pan or stock pot.
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Add onion and sauté until beginning to soften, 2 minutes.
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Add garlic and chiles. Sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds.
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Add dry spices. Sauté 30 seconds.
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Add butternut squash. Sauté 2 minutes.
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Add 1 1/2 cups chicken stock and tomatoes with juices. (The squash should be just covered with liquid. Add extra chicken stock if necessary.) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until squash is tender but firm, 15-20 minutes.
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Add chickpeas and 1 teaspoon salt. Continue to simmer, 10 minutes.
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Stir in kale and simmer until leaves are wilted and bright green, 2 minutes.
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While the ragout is simmering bring 2 cups chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add couscous, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and remove from heat. Let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.
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To serve, spoon couscous into a bowl or shallow plate, leaving a well in the center. Ladle ragout into the center. Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley leaves.
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To prepare with sausage: As a first step, slice 8 ounces hot Italian sausage or chorizo into 1/2 inch pieces. Sauté in deep sauté pan until golden brown on all sides. Transfer sausage to a plate lined with a paper towel. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon rendered fat. Add onion and proceed with Step 1, substituting the sausage fat for the olive oil. Return sausage to the ragout with the chickpeas in Step 7.
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