Moroccan-style Carrot, Celery, and Leek Stew with Chickpeas, Kalamata Olives, and Dried Lemon
Here is a delicious stew for you. It matches up our organic carrots, celery, and leeks with Moroccan spices: dried lemon, cinnamon, cumin, garlic, and cloves. When the spices hit the hot oil in the pot you will feel transported. Exotic and intoxicating aromas will fill your kitchen!
The dried lemon gives the stew a wonderful hint of lemon and lime, but if you can’t find it locally simply replace it with a tablespoon each of lemon and lime juice.
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I would like to thank Chris and Eva Worden for the opportunity to have worked with them, their staff, and their amazing produce the past several months. I wish you all the best as you begin to prepare your fields for next season and take a well-deserved break. Thank you once again! I am already looking forward to seeing you back at the Farmer’s Market in September!
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups diced carrots
- 3 cups diced, washed, leeks
- 2 cups diced celery
- 1 15 oz can, organic chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, and rinsed
- Note: Check the list of ingredients…if the list includes only garbanzo beans, water, and sea salt then we usually include the liquid as well
- 1 cup pitted, quartered kalamata or green olives
- 1 1/2 qt vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp ground dried lemon powder
- May replace this with 1 tbsp each of lemon and lime juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp grated fresh turmeric
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- Kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Garnish with kefir cheese (here), sour cream, Greek yogurt, or vegan cashew cream
- Note: With carrots being the dominant veggie, the stew will be slightly sweet, which is typical of Moroccan stews, but because we added more carrots we did not need to add any sugar or honey, which is also typical. The sourness of any of these four types of dairy will contrast nicely with the sweetness from this carrot heavy stew.
DIRECTIONS
Preparation:- Wash and peel the carrots, cut into 1/2 inch dice; set aside.
- Wash the celery, cut away the leaves and smaller stems (save for stock), dice the remaining stalks into 1/2 inch pieces; set aside.
- Wash the leeks really well as they will most likely be sandy, especially in the crevices around the leaves, cut away and discard any discolored leaves.
- Cut off the root end, cut the white leek stem away from the green leaves, slice the white leek stem in half length-wise, separate the various layers under running water as dirt/sand will often be found in between the layers; drain.
- Dice into 1/2 inch pieces; set aside.
- Save the greens for stock.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas; set aside.
- Peel the fresh turmeric rhizome, grate; set aside.
Cooking:
- Heat a large soup pot on medium-high heat, wait a minute or two for the pot to heat up, add the oil, wait another minute for the oil to heat up, add the leeks and all the spices (dried lemon powder, cinnamon stick, cumin, garlic powder, and cloves), stir to mix well, when the leeks have softened add the rest of the ingredients (except salt and pepper), stir to mix well.
- Taste for seasoning, add kosher salt and black pepper, cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Your Moroccan-style carrot, celery, and leek stew with chickpeas, kalamata olives, and dried lemon is done!
ENJOY!
Moroccan-style Carrot, Celery, and Leek Stew with Chickpeas, Kalamata Olives, and Dried Lemon
This is my last work done for Worden Farm’s new blog, http://www.wordenfarmtotable.com and for the 2016/2017 growing season. Reposted with their permission.
whatscookingatrays 
Oh wow, this looks amazing!
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Thank you! The flavor is exotic with all the spices but the aroma! You think you’re in a Moroccan kitchen!
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Thank you! The dried lemon really gives it an exotic aroma and flavor.
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