Moroccan Chickpea Stew
Moroccan Stew is a cozy, flavor-packed dish with warming spices, veggies, chickpeas, Israeli couscous, and fresh herbs—hearty and delicious!
Servings: 4 servings
Cost: $12.31
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil measured when solid
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic 5 to 6 cloves
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas also called Garbanzos, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups butternut squash 1.3 pounds, peeled and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground chili powder use McCormick for less heat
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional; leave out if you don’t want heat
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 2-1/2 cups vegetable stock I like Swanson’s
- 1 cup Israeli couscous see note 1
- 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro loosely measured
- 1 cup frozen sweet peas
- Toppings as desired see note 2
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a large, cast-iron pot (nonstick will work as well; cook times are just longer since it doesn’t hold heat as well) over medium-high heat. Once coconut oil has melted, add onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes or until onion becomes softened.
- Add drained and rinsed chickpeas and cubed squash (see note 3). Cook, still over medium heat, stirring frequently, 7–9 minutes or until becoming tender. Using the back of a wooden spoon, crush down some of the chickpeas slightly to release the starch. This will help thicken the stew and add a nice texture.
- Add tomato paste and cumin, chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, salt, cinnamon, cayenne pepper (optional—leave out if sensitive to heat), and black pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until spices are fragrant.
- Add both cans of undrained crushed fire-roasted tomatoes. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
- Add vegetable stock and couscous. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 15–22 minutes or until squash is crisp-tender (it should still have some bite to it, not be mushy!) and couscous is cooked through. Stir every 3–4 minutes to keep couscous from sticking to the bottom. If couscous isn’t cooking through or the squash is not softening, slightly increase heat. If it’s heavily boiling, slightly decrease heat.
- Stir in peas to warm through. Add 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest and 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice (add slowly to preference; you may not want as much) and fresh herbs. Taste and season again with salt and pepper; I add another 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Spoon stew into bowls and serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt if desired.
Video
Notes
Note 1: Israeli couscous is also called pearled couscous; here’s what I use. It’s important to get the large balls of couscous to match the cooking time and texture of this stew. Israeli couscous and regular couscous are made with similar ingredients, but regular couscous is much smaller.
Note 2: Optional toppings: 2 and 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped basil leaves or fresh mint, additional lemon wedges, additional cilantro, and plain Greek yogurt.
Note 3: It’s important for cook time on this recipe that the squash is cut into small, 1/2-inch cubes. If the squash pieces are too big, it won’t cook in the given time.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth if needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 690mg | Potassium: 1413mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 28034IU | Vitamin C: 90mg | Calcium: 186mg | Iron: 4mg