Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew With Couscous

Good one.

I made this as written and it is very good but next time I will add more raisins and steam the cauliflower before adding because it takes much longer than 20 minutes to cook.

Comforting, & fast and easy to make. Approved by my 5 year old. ;)

Made this dish as written using garden-fresh cauli, golden raisins, San Marzano tomatoes and skipped couscous: delicious, and even better the next day! I warmed it on the stove and added a pound of shelled raw 16-20 count shrimp once stew was boiling hot. Fantastic, and still didn't really need couscous. Will add more ginger next time, and aim for fresh as Simplifing8 did. Love the Real Simple recipes!

This recipe is quickly becoming a favorite around here. It's so quick and easy, and really hearty and satisfying on a cold night. I followed the guidelines in the comments, and I don't add the raisins until the very last minute. I'm also kind of liberal with the cooking time- if it takes me longer to fold in the spinach, it's okay because it's longer for the whole stew to reduce. It also saves well and makes good next-day lunches. I have to say, I wasn't convinced when I read the recipe initially, but I really love making this now. Even my boyfriend loves it, and gets excited when I suggest it!

I thought this recipe turned out great! I should have read the reviews to not add the raisins till later because they don't need all the simmering time to cook. I would just add them in with the spinach next time. I used fresh ginger instead of the ground, keeping it fresh. I didn't need to alter any of the measurements in the given recipe. The cauliflower does take over 15 minutes to be tender.

Have to say it's a grower! Wasn't overwhelmed with greatness at first, but soon I had no problem devouring the remaining 7 servings I had left. Here are some tips I find worth sharing: - Definitely simmer longer than recipe states..I do mine close to an hour - Need to add an extra cup or so of water to really submerse everything and allow the cauliflower to cook. Don't worry, it will reduce nicely in conjunction with the longer simmer time (leave the lid off) - Sprinkle with deli grated Parmesan cheese afterwards in bowl...adds a nice little extra something - Don't add raisins during cooking..they get really water-logged and kind of gross, especially as leftovers. I prefer to sprinkle along with the aforementioned cheese per serving - This recipe makes A LOT of food. I got 8 servings or so out of mine following the recipe, not four. Making a half batch worked better for 4 lunches. Also good paired with Spanish rice, etc. A very hearty, warming, somehow jusssst-right savory stew.

At first bite we didn't care for it, thought it was too bland. But by the end of the meal we actually liked it. We heated up the leftovers the next day (adding more cumin and ginger) and enjoyed it very much. I will make this again.

I added another 1/2c of water and simmered for about an hour before adding spinach so that the cauliflower became much more tender. Also added butter and salt to the couscous. We liked it a lot! Even our 6yo ate it.

I added red pepper for some heat, and used fire roasted tomatoes instead of whole peeled ones. Delicious!