Easy Moroccan Chickpea Stew

Soups should be warm, comforting and nourishing, and thanks to a vibrant spice profile, this Moroccan chickpea stew is just that. Made from sweet butternut squash, tangy canned tomatoes and creamy, tender chickpeas, the thick vegetarian soup is great for long winter days when you want to whip up an easy soup to feed the whole family. It’s packed with bold flavor from spices like cinnamon, ginger and cumin, too. Even better? It takes just 30 minutes from start to finish.

While the soup is vegetarian, it’s easy to add meat if you wish. This Moroccan chickpea stew is totally adaptable, so you can add extra vegetables or swap out the legumes however you’d like.

Ingredients for Moroccan Chickpea Stew

• Butternut squash: This dense, hearty vegetable makes a fantastic addition to soups. It adds earthy sweetness when cooked, and the tender texture helps thicken up the broth. Be sure to cut your squash into uniformly-shaped pieces to ensure that they cook evenly.
• Onion: In this recipe, we start the soup base with sautéed onion to develop sweet, earthy flavor throughout. The flavor of the onion adds complexity to the broth, while also adding tender, silky bites.
• Sweet red pepper: This crunchy vegetable becomes delightfully soft when simmered in broth, so it combines nicely with the other ingredients in soup. It has a sweet flavor that perfectly complements that of the squash and the acidity from the tomatoes.
• Ground cinnamon: Warm, woody and just a little bit spicy, a few dashes of cinnamon is a great way to add deeper flavor to this comforting soup. It’s a traditional ingredient in Moroccan cooking and is a quick and easy way to add bright flavor.
• Ground ginger: Citrusy and spicy, ginger adds a vibrant zing to this soup. In this recipe, we add the ginger to the vegetables while they’re sautéing to help the spice open up and become just a little bit toasty.
• Ground cumin: This pungent spice is a nice way to add hearty, smoky flavor to vegetarian soups like this one. It has a warm, earthy flavor, and it pairs naturally with cinnamon and ginger.
• Chickpeas or garbanzo beans: Chickpeas help bulk up this Moroccan stew recipe with creamy texture. The mild, neutral flavor allows them to soak up the flavors of whatever they’re cooked in, so they’re an ideal addition to flavorful broths like this one.
• Canned diced tomatoes: Canned tomatoes add color, acidity and condensed tomato flavor here. We like using the diced option because the uniformly-cut pieces mix into the soup better, but you could also use canned whole tomatoes and squeeze them in your hands to break them up before adding to the soup. 
• Cilantro: Zesty, vibrant and pungent, cilantro makes a vibrant topping for this full-flavored soup. The bold herb also adds bright green color which makes for a gorgeous presentation, too.

Directions 

Step 1: Sauté the vegetables

In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the squash, onion and red pepper; then cook and stir until the onion is translucent and the red pepper is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the seasonings until blended.

Step 2: Add chickpeas and simmer

Add the chickpeas, tomatoes and a cup of water, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover and simmer until the squash is tender, about 8 minutes. If desired, top with cilantro.

Recipe Variations 

• Opt for different beans: This is an adaptable dish, so you could easily swap out the chickpeas for whatever type of canned bean you happen to have handy. While white beans — like cannellini or great northern beans — take on the flavor of the broth, you could also try it with kidney or black beans.
• Try a different type of squash: There’s no need to stick solely to butternut squash in this recipe. If you have a different type of squash you prefer, you could absolutely add it instead. Any other type of winter squash — like sugar pumpkin — would work nicely.
• Add some more protein: This is a vegetarian Moroccan chickpea stew, but you can certainly add meat if you’d like to bulk it up a bit more. Try adding cooked, cubed chicken breast or browned, crumbled sweet sausage. For more vegetarian protein option, try adding cooked red lentils . 

How to Store Moroccan Chickpea Stew

This Moroccan chickpea stew can easily be stored in the refrigerator. Once it’s cooked, allow the soup to come to room temperature, then transfer to airtight containers with a tight-fitting lid. Once in the refrigerator, the soup can last for about three to four days. 

Can you freeze Moroccan chickpea stew?

You can certainly freeze this Moroccan chickpea stew. To do so, transfer the soup to freezer-safe, airtight containers and affix the lids. Let sit in the freezer for up to three months. To use, thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat it in a saucepan on the stovetop; adding water or vegetable broth if necessary.

Moroccan Chickpea Stew Tips

What can you serve with Moroccan chickpea stew?

This thick stew would be delicious served over couscous, rice or a hearty, textured grain such as farro or quinoa. Slices of flatbread or naan would be a welcome addition to help scoop it up, too.

Can I make this Moroccan chickpea stew in a slow cooker?

You can certainly make this stew in a slow cooker. Start by sautéing the vegetables on the stove with the spices first, then add everything into a slow cooker and let cook for about four hours.

How can I make this stew extra spicy?

To make this stew extra spicy, add a teaspoon or two of harissa to the vegetables at the end of step one. Harissa is a spicy, tangy paste made from red chili peppers that’s used in a variety of international cuisines like Tunisian and Moroccan cooking.