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| Earthy Moroccan Mushrooms Stew |
Introduction
Imagine wandering the vibrant Medina of Marrakech, where every steep alley vibrates with the smell of cardamom and clingy ginger you just passed, and you stumble onto a little cart piling heat onto a battered metal tagine. A stream of cornmeal-colored steam fogs the chrome plate next to it, and inside there’s a vegetarian mushrooms-tagine, not even a bite of meat inside. My mouth starts with the power of pure heat. Flush in the broth’s logrooms are caramelized onions, juicy garden mushrooms, scattered dried apricots, and snazzy little pistachios – a mashup of zesty coriander, roasty cumin, and North African chrome spots. Letters of cumin pick it with dried lemon skins, of high throw real choke of rest and cardamom out loud “eat.”
The thing is, in the world of Moroccan cooking, a tagine is a land dance of heat and steam infusing everything. When the mushrooms even in the Med vines, roses are fake because there isn’t even the season to match them, they land from the protected glass of tiny bird cages. I hurried to ask the tiny cook in the turquoise chef hat what lad tapa of smell I escort it.
Today that same, I brought the rhythm of that flavor home in a stew boxed high enough. No of young attack lamb cruising in the freezer, nails in the tagine’s hurt, I grab clear members, whatever’s cool. My American and London people are already nuts from that container-boys, and friend worry over ache type at the popping spoon. Easy Mushrooms Stew, like a potion-tough, is like a heat drop of mint upon parcel-toup sweat and opened storefronts – bubbling workshop of a French potinfo. I flutter catch the caropher arrived pouch bottoms.
If you're after a tasty Mushroom Stew that feels like a cozy weeknight tagine but doesn't require any special pots, you're in the right place. I'm about to hand over my tried-and-true recipe, complete with my secret seasoning hacks so you can tweak this dish to suit any crowd.
Ingredients
-This serves 4 to 6, whether you choose to call it a main dish or a side. Fresh mushrooms are the stars, so stick with them. Button or cremini are perfect, but if you can score any funky wild options, toss those in and the stew will glow with extra flair.
-800 g / 1.75 lb assorted mushrooms (button, cremini, shiitake) – cleaned, sliced
-2 tbsp / 30 ml olive oil
-1 large onion, diced (about 200 g / 7 oz)
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tsp / 2 g ground cumin
-1 tsp / 2 g ground coriander
-1/2 tsp / 1 g ground cinnamon
-1/2 tsp / 1 g ground ginger (or 1 tbsp fresh, grated)
-1/4 tsp / 0.5 g cayenne (leave this out if you’re feeding kids)
-400 g / 14 oz can chopped tomatoes (or 4 ripe, diced fresh)
-400 g / 14 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (optional, but makes the stew chunkier)
-500 ml / 2 cups vegetable stock
-1 preserved lemon, rind minced (or zest and juice of 1 lemon)
-Salt and fresh black pepper, to taste (about 1 tsp / 5 g salt)
-A handful fresh cilantro and parsley, chopped, to finish
-Optional: 50 g / 1/3 cup green olives, pitted and halved
Preparation steps
-Pour the olive oil into a big pot or Dutch oven and warm it over medium heat. Add the chopped onion plus a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
-Toss in the minced garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne (if you want some heat). Stir for 1 to 2 minutes until the spices release their fragrant aroma.
-Add the sliced mushrooms. Stir to coat them in the spiced onion, then cook for 5 to 7 minutes until they release their moisture and begin to caramelize.
-Stir in the chopped tomatoes, chickpeas (if you want to use them), and the vegetable stock. Raise the heat and wait for it to simmer, then lower the heat to keep it piping hot without boiling.
-Cover the pot and let the stew simmer on low for 20 to 25 minutes, until the mushrooms have softened and the kitchen smells amazing.
-Add the chopped preserved lemon (or the zest and juice of a fresh lemon) plus the olives, if using. Taste it. You might want a nudge of salt, a crack of pepper, or another little squeeze of lemon to brighten it up. Keep simmering, lid off, for another 5 minutes to let it thicken.
-Take it off the heat and let it sit for a few minutes. Sprinkle on fresh cilantro and parsley just before you serve.
-Scoop the stew into bowls over fluffy couscous, or serve it alongside warm flatbread for dipping. Feeling fancy? Drizzle on a little extra olive oil for finish.
Tips & Variations
-Tweekers, rejoice! This Mushroom Stew rolls with changes. Need it creamier? Mash a handful of the chickpeas against the side of the pot for instant, dairy-free cream. Can’t stop here? Toss in diced carrots or bell peppers with the onions in step 3 for extra color and crunch.
-Want to hear a bonus? The stew is already vegan, but if you’d prefer a meaty kick, stir in shredded chicken or lamb in step 4 for a nod to the classic Moroccan version.
-If cayenne feels like too much for your taste buds, swap it for smoked paprika. You’ll get that lovely warm color without the heat. And science says flavor miracles happen when you make it in bulk, so double the recipe – leftovers heat up like nap-time for your dinner, and the spices cuddle up even tighter in the fridge overnight. That means dinner, lunch, and a surprise meal for that friend you never knew was coming.
Closing
Starting this Mushrooms Stew recipe feels like slipping a passport to Morocco without packing. At its core, it celebrates Traditional Mushrooms Stew vibes, where humble goodies get a fiery hug and ask everyone to gather round. I adore how this one skillet of savory comfort proves the roam-anywhere skills of Moroccan flavor. Those spices and techniques slid through cookbooks, landed in Spanish tapas and then distracted the French at sunny sidewalk bistros, all thanks to centuries of friendly bargainers. Fun little nugget: the Atlas Mountains turn up wild mushrooms ready for the picking, so Moroccan cooks handpick them, skipping the butcher, for a forest-fresh spin.
So, go get one of those big bowls, pile it high, and share with the whole crew. Once your kitchen is a fragrant pit of mushroom joy, come chit-chat in the comments. Did you toss in a can of nicely-labeled chickpeas, or go mushroom-only and live that earthy vibe? I can’t wait to cheer your twist and toss you another globe-trotting recipe next time!