Preserved lemons have been sitting up there in the cupboard just waiting for me to use them. Finally I used them in this yummy Moroccan squash and chickpea stew recipe that I found on my favorite blog Smitten Kitchen. While the preserved lemons were the catalyst for making the dish, I actually wouldn’t have missed them. They are good, but I’m not a huge lemon/orange rind person and these definitely had the rind flavor going on.

I have this amazing Moroccan spice blend called ras el hanout so I used it instead of cinnamon and cumin, and instead of potatoes I threw in some cauliflower. The stew was delicious!

Also, loved this over Israeli cous cous. It is bigger and has a really fun texture!

1 tablespoon butter
1 onion chopped
4 garlic cloves smashed and chopped
2 tablespoons ras el hanout (or sub a cinnamon stick and 2 teaspoons ground cumin
12 ounces butternut squash cut into chunks (I use the already cut Trader Joe’s bag)
1/3 cauliflower cut into florets
2 cups vegetable broth
1 can diced tomatoes with the juice (14 ounces)
2 cups chickpeas cooked (or 1 1/2 cans drained)
Pinch saffron threads (optional)
1/2 preserved lemon chopped
1 cup green olives
Cous cous (we used Israeli cous cous)
Slivered almonds toasted
Yogurt plain

1. In a dutch oven or similar pan, saute 1 chopped onion and 4 cloves smashed garlic in 1 tablespoon butter until softened.
2. Add 2 tablespoons ras el hanout spice mix (or substitute one cinnamon stick and 2 teaspoons cumin powder) and saute for a few seconds.
3. Add the squash, cauliflower, 2 cups vegetable broth and diced tomatoes and cook until the squash is tender.
4. Add the chickpeas, saffron, preserved lemons and green olives and cook a few minutes longer to let the flavors meld.
5. Serve with cous cous, toasted slivered almonds and plain yogurt.