Spicy Braised Chickpeas and Turnips with Couscous
By America's Test KitchenPublished on December 14, 2021
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided2 onion, chopped2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped¾ teaspoon table salt, divided¼ teaspoon pepper ¼ cup tomato paste 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped5 garlic cloves, minced¾ teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas 12 ounces turnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces2¼ cups water, divided, plus extra hot water as needed1½ cups couscous ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, bell peppers, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in chickpeas and their liquid, turnips, and ¾ cup water. Bring to simmer and cook until turnips are tender and sauce has thickened, 25 to 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add couscous and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are just beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1½ cups water and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cover, remove saucepan from heat, and let sit until couscous is tender, about 7 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork.
- Stir parsley and lemon juice into braised turnips. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust consistency with hot water as needed. Serve chickpeas over couscous with lemon wedges.
Yield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup tomato paste
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas
12 ounces turnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
2¼ cups water, divided, plus extra hot water as needed
1½ cups couscous
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup tomato paste
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas
12 ounces turnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
2¼ cups water, divided, plus extra hot water as needed
1½ cups couscous
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup tomato paste
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas
12 ounces turnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
2¼ cups water, divided, plus extra hot water as needed
1½ cups couscous
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
Why This Recipe Works
The flavors in this dish were inspired by Tunisian cuisine, which is known for being quite hot and spicy. While the combination of chickpeas and braised turnips may sound unfamiliar, these two earthy ingredients actually work very well together. Turnips have a peppery bite akin to radishes when raw (they add great crunch to salads), but when cooked, their spiciness mellows and they develop a dense, creamy texture similar to potatoes but with less starch. Including the aquafaba—the starchy, seasoned liquid from the cans of chickpeas—in the dish instead of draining it away gave the braising liquid that became the sauce good body and flavor. Finally, a base of fluffy couscous allowed all of our ingredients along with our punchy sauce to shine through.
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, bell peppers, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in chickpeas and their liquid, turnips, and ¾ cup water. Bring to simmer and cook until turnips are tender and sauce has thickened, 25 to 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add couscous and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are just beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1½ cups water and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cover, remove saucepan from heat, and let sit until couscous is tender, about 7 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork.
- Stir parsley and lemon juice into braised turnips. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust consistency with hot water as needed. Serve chickpeas over couscous with lemon wedges.
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