Quinoa & CouscousMiddle EasternEasy

Slow Cooker Lentil Vegetable Stew with Couscous

Name: Slow Cooker Lentil Vegetable Stew with Couscous
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 7 h 16 min
Total time: 7 h 41 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) yellow onion, finely chopped; 4 cloves (14 g) garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste; 2 tsp (4 g) ground cumin; 1 tsp (2 g) ground coriander; 1 tsp (2½ g) sweet paprika; ½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon; ½ tsp (1½ g) ground turmeric; 1½ cups (300 g) dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed; 4 medium (about 12 oz) (340 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces; 2 stalks (120 g) celery stalks, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces; 14½ oz can (411 g) canned diced tomatoes, with juices; 6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth; 2 leaves (1 g) bay leaves, dried; 1¼ tsp (7 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1 cup (180 g) plain small-grain couscous, dry; 5 oz (140 g) baby spinach, roughly chopped; 1 large lemon, zested, then juiced (about 3 tbsp / 45 ml juice); ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Brown lentils and carrots simmer all day with cumin, coriander and a hint of cinnamon until tender and savory. Spinach and pearl-style couscous go in at the end to thicken the stew into a hearty, lemony bowl.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 7 hr 16 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 7 hr 46 min
Makes: About 9 cups (6 generous bowls)

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Ingredients

6 servings

2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves (14 g) garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste
2 tsp (4 g) ground cumin
1 tsp (2 g) ground coriander
1 tsp (2.5 g) sweet paprika
½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (1.5 g) ground turmeric
1½ cups (300 g) dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
4 medium (about 12 oz) (340 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces
2 stalks (120 g) celery stalks, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces
14½ oz can (411 g) canned diced tomatoes, with juices
6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth
2 leaves (1 g) bay leaves, dried
1¼ tsp (7 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
1 cup (180 g) plain small-grain couscous, dry
5 oz (140 g) baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 large lemon, zested, then juiced (about 3 tbsp / 45 ml juice)
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

Equipment (5)

5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) slow cooker
10- to 12-inch (25–30 cm) skillet
Chef's knife and cutting board
Fine-mesh strainer
Wooden spoon or ladle

Steps

Before you start

Use a 5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) slow cooker. A smaller one may not hold everything once the couscous swells.
Plan on 7 hours on LOW (or 4 hours on HIGH) plus 10 minutes at the end for the couscous.
Use regular small-grain couscous, not pearl (Israeli) couscous, which needs longer to cook.
Pick over the lentils for small stones and rinse them well in a fine-mesh strainer.

1
Prep vegetables and lentils
- Chop the onion, mince the garlic, peel and cut the carrots into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces, and cut the celery the same size.
- Pick over the lentils for stones, then rinse them in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water for 30 seconds.
- Zest the lemon and set the zest aside; juice it separately.
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Ready when: Vegetables are in uniform pieces and the lentil rinse water runs mostly clear.
Tip: Keep the carrot pieces no smaller than ½ inch so they stay intact over the long cook.
2
Bloom aromatics and spices
- Heat the olive oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and a pinch of the salt and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon and turmeric.
- Stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes.
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Ready when: The paste darkens to brick red and the spices smell fragrant and toasty, with no scorched smell.
Tip: If the pan looks dry or the spices start to stick, splash in 2 tablespoons of the broth.
3
Load the slow cooker
- Scrape the skillet contents into the slow cooker.
- Add the rinsed lentils, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes with their juices, broth, bay leaves, the remaining salt and the pepper.
- Stir well so the lentils are fully submerged.
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Ready when: All lentils and vegetables sit below the liquid line.
Tip: Don't add the couscous or spinach yet. They would turn mushy over a long cook.
4
Slow cook the stew
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours (or on HIGH for 4 hours).
- Don't lift the lid during the first 5 hours of low cooking, since each peek adds 15 to 20 minutes.
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Ready when: Lentils are completely tender with no chalky center when pressed, and a carrot piece mashes easily against the side of the pot.
Tip: If the lentils are still firm, cook another 30 minutes. Older dried lentils can take longer.
5
Add couscous and spinach
- Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Turn the slow cooker to HIGH.
- Stir in the dry couscous and chopped spinach until the spinach is submerged.
- Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
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Ready when: The spinach is wilted and dark green, and the couscous grains are plump and tender with no hard center.
Tip: Keep the lid on so the stew stays hot enough to hydrate the couscous.
6
Finish and rest
- Stir in the lemon juice, half of the lemon zest and the parsley, if using.
- Taste and add more salt, about ¼ teaspoon at a time, until the flavors taste bright.
- Turn off the heat, cover and let the stew rest for 5 minutes so it thickens slightly.
- Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the remaining lemon zest.
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Ready when: The stew is thick but spoonable, like a loose porridge, and tastes bright, not flat.
Tip: If it is too thick, stir in ¼ cup (60 ml) hot water or broth.

Good to know

Tips

Salt in the pot at the start is moderate on purpose. Season to taste at the end, since broths vary widely in saltiness.
Blooming the spices in oil first gives noticeably deeper flavor than adding them dry. If you are short on time, skip the skillet and add them directly to the cooker.
Serve with a spoonful of plain yogurt or a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of chili flakes or harissa for heat.
Do not cook the couscous for much longer than 10 minutes, or the stew will turn pasty.

Make ahead

"Make the stew through step 4 up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat until steaming, then add the couscous and spinach and finish as written. You can also chop the vegetables and toast the spices the night before and refrigerate them separately."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: airtight container up to 4 days. The couscous keeps absorbing liquid, so thin with a splash of water or broth when reheating gently on the stove or in the microwave until steaming hot. Freezer: for best texture, freeze the stew without couscous and spinach for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat and add them fresh."

Substitutions

plain small-grain couscous → Quick-cooking quinoa, rinsed, or whole wheat couscous. For gluten-free, use quinoa and simmer 15 minutes on HIGH instead of 10 until the tails pop out.
baby spinach → Chopped Swiss chard or kale leaves, stems removed. Kale needs about 15 minutes on HIGH to become tender.
dried brown lentils → Green or French green lentils. Use the same amount. Do not use red lentils, which break down into mush.
lemon → Red wine vinegar. Use 1 tablespoon in place of the juice and skip the zest.

couscous dairy-free lentils make-ahead middle eastern slow cooker stew vegan

Steps

Prep vegetables and lentils

Bloom aromatics and spices

Load the slow cooker

Slow cook the stew

Add couscous and spinach

Finish and rest

Good to know

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