Saffron Couscous & Spinach Stew

Saffron Couscous & Spinach Stew / www.loveandlemons.com

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be all about fancy cooking and elaborate meals. If pasta making sounds too stressful, try this cozy one-pot stew that’s perfect for two. (With maybe a little leftover, if you eat less than we do).

Saffron Couscous & Spinach Stew / www.loveandlemons.com

It doesn’t get much easier than this – sauté leeks and mushrooms in an oven-safe pot or this adorable heart shaped one. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, couscous and – the fancy part – a few pinches of saffron. Yes, saffron is expensive but a little goes a long way. Plus, it’s Valentine’s Day so let’s live a little.

Saffron Couscous & Spinach Stew / www.loveandlemons.com Saffron Couscous & Spinach Stew / www.loveandlemons.com

Pop it in the oven and bake until the couscous has absorbed most of the water, then stir in a few handfuls of spinach. The heat of the stew will wilt the spinach. Enjoy with crusty bread and a good spanish red wine.

Saffron Couscous & Spinach Stew / www.loveandlemons.com


4.7 from 7 reviews

saffron couscous & spinach stew

 
Author:
Serves: serves 2-3
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • about 1 cup sliced leeks
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1.5 cups chopped mushrooms
  • splash of sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 1 14 oz. can tomatoes
  • (up to) 14 oz. water
  • a few generous pinches of saffron
  • ½ - 1 teaspoon paprika (smoked or sweet)
  • ½ cup cooked chickpeas, drained
  • ½ cup uncooked Israeli couscous
  • a few big handfuls of spinach
  • salt & pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium oven-proof pot, sauté leeks with salt and pepper. Once they're translucent, add garlic, mushrooms, and more salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms are soft. Add a splash of sherry vinegar and stir.
  3. Add tomatoes, saffron, smoked paprika, chickpeas and couscous. Fill your empty 14 oz. tomato can with water and add most of it to the pan. Stir, cover and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the stew is thick and the couscous is cooked. Remove from the oven and stir in the spinach until it's wilted and incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings and serve.
Notes
You can make this in any oven-safe pot or small dutch oven. If your dish is larger, you might have to adjust the amount of water you use. (This heart cocotte is a little small - about 2 quarts).

Or use a larger dutch oven and double the recipe.

Products in this post: Staub Heart Cocotte

36 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it):  

  1. SM
    02.28.2019

    I just made this! I cooked it on my stove instead of baking it because I’m slightly terrified of my oven. Still turned out great 😀

    • SM
      02.28.2019

      Oh! I also put in two thai chilies and a parm rind while it was cooking down!

      • Jeanine Donofrio
        03.01.2019

        sounds delicious! I’m so glad you loved the recipe.

  2. Madeline Roe
    06.13.2016

    This is a delicious recipe. I’ve now made it twice. I have a few recommended but minor tweaks. I substituted the water with vegetable stock. I also added grated pecorino romano cheese on top. I think this vastly improved the taste the second time around! Will make again!

  3. Having a major health overhaul, tried this recipie and it was soooo tasty, plus it was simple and made the kitchen smell heavenly. Unfortunately I had run out of the main ingredience (saffron) so I substituted it for a little turmeric.
    Will definately try out more recipies 🙂

  4. mehrdad
    02.28.2015

    hello dear freind
    im mehrdad from iran.im producer of one of the best quality organic saffron in the world.(all red.dry.very good color because its thick.clean)
    i can send u on unbeliavable prices even in small amounts.for more information please contact me.
    with respect
    email:mbsixty_4@yahoo.com
    mobile/viber:+989124017714

  5. Shannon
    02.15.2015

    I made this tonight. Saffron is soooooooo expensive ($20 at my grocery store) but after Googling I saw that there really is no substitute for it. And I really don’t know much about cooking & flavors to know if the recipe needs it. I will also say that not knowing that much about cooking I wasn’t sure about the heat level for the sauteing…I put it on Medium heat & lowered it slightly after I put the mushrooms in because they are so delicate. The greener part of the leaks never really get translucent either. All things you learn from doing :)!

    All this being said…
    THIS WAS DELICIOUS!
    No leftovers though 🙁
    I used everything exactly per the recipe.

    • jeanine
      02.16.2015

      I’m so glad you liked it! Hopefully your saffron will last awhile (mine does- just keep it in a cool, dark place). Thanks for the feedback about the instructions – I’ll make them a little more clear 🙂

  6. Ashley
    02.15.2015

    When does the paprika get added? It’s on the ingredient list, but not in the instructions. I missed adding it until the end – which probably explains why my 4 year old loved it….

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.