Here Comes the Sun: Tunisian Vegetable Stew from the Moosewood Restaurant

"And all was light": That about sums up my feelings about this golden-hued Tunisian Vegetable Stew from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. This was one of the dishes I started making last summer that made me think that going vegan wouldn't be so impossible after all. For all its humble ingredients and simple cooking method, it was revelatory.

One of the first things I discovered about eating vegetarian or vegan is that trying to emulate meat-based dishes will usually leave you disappointed. It's far better to look for new recipes and dishes that you've never tried before, dishes that make vegetables shine on their own instead of warping them into flavors they don't naturally have.

This African-style stew is a perfect example of this. This is what happens when you take fresh, healthy vegetables; cook them properly; and spice the hell out of them: satisfying, flavorful magic.

This recipe requires some chopping and some waiting as each round of ingredients softens, but, really, as far as soups go, this one is incredibly low maintenance and pretty quick to knock off. (I won't repost the recipe here because I follow the recipe linked above very closely, with the exception of leaving out the currants.)

What makes this stew "Tunisian"? Well, I'm obviously no expert on African cooking, but all of the spices (cayenne, turmeric, and coriander) are common to Indian cooking, except for the cinnamon. I know, I know, it sounds crazy--cinnamon in a savory dish?--but it adds a subtle, sweet, exotic fragrance to the otherwise spicy, tomato-rich sauce that makes it addictive. You can't help but want to eat more, and more, and more of the stuff.

Until, of course, it fills you up. Which it does admirably, especially at only . . . (wait for it) . . . 150 calories per cup serving. That's right, folks, you can easily go in for seconds on this one. I tend to make it on Sundays and eat it all week at work for lunch. I've tried it with rice and pita bread, but so far I like it best with a hunk of cornbread. (The dairy-free variety, of course!)

Also, can I just say that cabbage is a shockingly underrated vegetable. It plays so nicely with spicy flavors, and it's filling and nutritious, and coleslaw exists, and . . . Wait, I'll stop there.  It definitely deserves an ingredient profile of its own!