moroccan stew

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
450g beef
2 small onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 carrot, cut into pieces
2 celery sticks, diced
1 heaping tbsp harissa paste
2 tsp plain flour
2 tsp cumin
1.2 L vegetable stock
400g can chopped tomatoes
75g dried apricots
900g butternut squash, deseeded, peeled and cut into cubes

For the jewelled couscous:
175g couscous
300 ml vegetable stock, hot
2 tomatoes, deseeded and diced
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook for 5 minutes or until browned all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and place it in the pot with the vegetable broth almost at a boil.
2. Add the onions and garlic to the pan, reduce the heat slightly and cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the carrot and celery, cover and cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened slightly. Stir in the harissa paste and flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the hot vegetable stock.
3. Stir in the tomatoes and apricots, then bring to the boil. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper. Add cumin.
4. Add the butternut squash and return the beef to the soup (use a slotted spoon to remove it from the stock). Cover and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until both the squash and beef are tender.
5. Meanwhile, make the jewelled couscous. Put the couscous into a large bowl. Pour over the hot stock, cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes to absorb the liquid. Fluff up the grains with a fork, then stir in the tomatoes and mint. Season.
6. To serve, ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Pile a spoonful of couscous in the centre and serve with extra harissa on the side.