Spring is in the air, and with it comes an abundance of fresh, vibrant vegetables. This is the perfect time to make a spring vegetable ragoût, a hearty and flavorful stew that showcases the best of the season's produce. Ragoûts are traditionally made with meat, but this vegetarian version is just as satisfying, and it's packed with nutrients.
Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!
SPRING VEGETABLE RAGOûT WITH BROWN BUTTER COUSCOUS
The amazingly flavorful couscous here is the result of a trick from the chef Mourad Lahlou, whose San Francisco restaurants, Aziza (currently closed) and Mourad, feature a modernist approach to Moroccan cuisine. Freshly steamed couscous is tossed with sizzling brown butter, lots of chopped preserved lemon and a splash of saffron. It is seriously good with just about anything, especially seasonal vegetable ragoûts. (Saucy braises of lamb, chicken or fish also pair well with it.) The recipe below uses spring vegetables, but you can substitute others throughout the year.
Provided by David Tanis
Categories dinner, grains and rice, vegetables, main course
Time 1h
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/2 cups water to a rapid boil. Add salt and couscous, stirring as water returns to boil. Turn down heat to a bare simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and leave covered for 10 minutes. Dump couscous on a baking sheet or large platter, and spread out. Taste for salt and add more if necessary. Fluff, smash any large clumps and leave to cool, uncovered.
- Set up a steamer with a fine mesh basket, with water simmering on low heat, for eventual steaming of couscous. About 30 minutes before serving, put couscous in the steamer basket and raise heat to maintain a rapid simmer. Do not cover. (This extra steaming step produces lighter, fluffier couscous.)
- Make the green sauce: Put cilantro, salt, Serrano chile and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Pulse briefly, then purée into a paste. Add 1/4 cup water, and purée again. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in lime juice.
- Make the ragoût: Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a deep, wide skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add coriander and cumin. Let sizzle for a few seconds, then onions and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add leeks and season well with salt and pepper. Stir and cook onion-leek mixture until leeks are soft but still bright green, about 5 minutes.
- Add zucchini, season with salt and stir to coat. Add 3 cups water, raise heat to a boil, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add asparagus and peas, cover and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add favas, if using, and spinach, cover and cook 1 minute. Turn off heat. (Spinach will continue to cook.)
- Finish the couscous: Set a wide skillet over high heat. When pan is hot, add cold butter and let it sizzle and foam, turning rust-brown but no darker. Add preserved lemon and the saffron and its water to stop the browning. Turn off heat. Add hot couscous to pan and stir to incorporate all elements. Transfer to a warm serving bowl.
- Gently fold vegetables together, then lift from pot and transfer to a deep serving platter, using tongs or slotted spoon. Stir 2 tablespoons green sauce into liquid remaining in pot, then spoon liquid over vegetables. Garnish with cilantro sprigs. Pass remaining green sauce at the table.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 556, UnsaturatedFat 15 grams, Carbohydrate 67 grams, Fat 26 grams, Fiber 11 grams, Protein 16 grams, SaturatedFat 9 grams, Sodium 948 milligrams, Sugar 10 grams, TransFat 0 grams
EASY SPRING VEGETABLE RAGOUT
Serve this light ragout over pasta, polenta, or tortellini to make it a main dish.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Healthy Recipes Gluten-Free Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Soak leeks in cold water for 5 minutes; lift out and drain. Repeat until no grit remains on bottom of bowl. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-highheat. Add leeks and salt and sauteuntil leeks are tender, about 2 minutes. Stirin asparagus, then water. Simmer coveredfor 2 minutes. Add snap peas and radishes,cover, and simmer for 2 minutes more.
- Stir in mustard until well combined, then swirl in butter and herbs. Serve immediately.
SPRING VEGETABLE RAGOûT
Categories Bean Vegetable Stew Vegetarian High Fiber Asparagus Fennel Leek White Wine Spring Healthy Tarragon Gourmet
Yield Serves 4
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Chop white and pale-green parts of leeks and wash well in a bowl of cold water. Lift leeks from water with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander to drain. Trim fennel stalks flush with bulb and remove any discolored areas of bulb. Halve bulb lengthwise and cut each half crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, discarding cores. Halve or quarter larger morels lengthwise, leaving smaller ones whole.
- Cook turnips in a 6-quart heavy pot of salted boiling water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer turnips with slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice water to stop cooking. (Keep water boiling.) Boil carrots until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes, and transfer with slotted spoon to ice water. Boil fava beans until crisp-tender, about 2‚ minutes, and transfer with slotted spoon to ice water. Gently boil potatoes until almost tender, about 15 minutes, and drain in colander. Rinse under cold running water. Drain blanched vegetables and gently peel outer skins from fava beans. Halve potatoes.
- Cook shallots, leeks, and salt and pepper to taste in 3 tablespoons butter in pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add broth, zest, and 1/4 cup herbs and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids. Discard solids and reserve broth.
- Cook morels in remaining 3 tablespoons butter in cleaned pot over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add wine and simmer until reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 3 minutes. Add fennel, asparagus, bell peppers, and reserved broth, then simmer, covered, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Gently stir in blanched vegetables and simmer until all vegetables are just tender, about 4 minutes.
- Serve ragout sprinkled with remaining 1/4 cup herbs.
SPRING VEGETABLE RAGOUT
Steps:
- Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add salt, return to a boil and add asparagus. Cook until just tender, drain asparagus, and immediately transfer to ice-water bath to cool. Drain from ice water and set aside.
- Bring a large saucepan of water and lemon juice to a boil over high heat. Add artichokes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes; drain.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat. Add shallot and cook until softened, about 1 minutes. Add asparagus, artichokes, peas, thyme, and 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a simmer and cook until heated through. Remove thyme sprigs, season with salt and pepper, and stir in chopped herbs. Add remaining tablespoon butter and swirl until melted. Serve immediately.
SPRING VEGETABLE RAGOûT WITH FRESH CHERVIL
Categories Herb Side Sauté Artichoke Asparagus Carrot Spring Sugar Snap Pea Bon Appétit Vegan Vegetarian Pescatarian Paleo Dairy Free Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added Kosher
Yield Makes 6 side-dish servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Fill medium bowl with cold water. Squeeze juice from lemon into bowl; add lemon. Cut off stem and top quarter from each artichoke. Bend back dark green outer leaves and snap off at artichoke base until only pale green and yellow leaves remain. Quarter each artichoke. Using small spoon, scoop out choke and any purple-tipped leaves. Transfer to lemon water.
- Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Drain artichokes; add to skillet along with carrots. Cover; cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add asparagus and sugar snap peas. Cover; cook until vegetables are tender, stirring and adding water by tablespoonfuls if vegetables begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in chervil. Season with salt and pepper.
Tips:
- Use fresh, seasonal vegetables. This will ensure that your ragoût is packed with flavor and nutrients.
- Don't be afraid to experiment with different vegetables. There are many different types of vegetables that can be used in a ragoût, so feel free to mix and match until you find a combination that you like.
- Don't overcook the vegetables. Overcooked vegetables will lose their flavor and texture, so be sure to cook them just until they are tender.
- Use a good quality stock. The stock is the base of the ragoût, so it's important to use a good one. If you don't have time to make your own, you can use a good quality store-bought stock.
- Season the ragoût to taste. This is the most important step of all! Taste the ragoût and adjust the seasonings until it tastes perfect.
Conclusion:
Spring vegetable ragoût is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It's a great way to use up fresh, seasonal vegetables and it's also a good source of protein and fiber. Whether you serve it as a main course or a side dish, this ragoût is sure to be a hit.
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