4 medium-sized yellow onions, quartered
2 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups vegetable broth
1 lb. carrots, peeled
1 lb. turnips, peeled
2 sweet potatoes, peeled
1 lb. zucchini
1 red bell pepper
2 cups couscous, uncooked
1 (20 oz.) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1/3 cup tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
pinch of saffron
salt and pepper to taste
Sauté onions in oil (or broth!) until light browned. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cut remaining vegetables into 1-1/2 inch long pieces. Add carrots, turnips and sweet potatoes to broth and simmer for 15 minutes. Lower heat, add zucchini and red pepper and cook until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, bring 2-1/2 cups of water to a boil (or use vegetable broth instead). Add couscous, stir, cover and remove from heat. Let sit, covered, for 5 to 7 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside. add beans, tomato sauce, cinnamon, turmeric, saffron, salt and pepper to stew and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
To serve, heap couscous in a ring around the outside of a large serving platter. With a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to center of dish. Spoon some of the broth over vegetables and couscous. Serve immediately.