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This Moroccan chickpea stew is hearty and satisfying: packed with healthy vegetables and a cozy blend of spices!
Here’s a healthy dinner idea that’s so hearty and satisfying, it will please everyone around the table: Moroccan Chickpea Stew! In fact, it’s one of our top plant based recipes. Why? It’s ultra flavorful, with a blend of cozy spices that accentuate nutrient rich vegetables: sweet potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes and spinach. Serve it with quinoa for a tasty plant based dinner that’s also gluten free. If you like, a dollop of Greek yogurt: and most definitely a squeeze of lemon to brighten the flavors!
Ingredients in Moroccan chickpea stew
This Moroccan chickpea stew plays on flavors from Moroccan cuisine that make it taste complex and fresh: it’s full of cumin, ginger, a bit of cinnamon, and topped with fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lemon and a touch of Greek yogurt. Here are the major ingredients in the base stew:
- Onion and garlic
- Sweet potatoes
- Canned tomatoes
- Chickpeas
- Spinach
- Olive oil
- Vegetable broth
- Moroccan spice blend: A blend of savory and sweet spices: paprika, cumin, coriander and turmeric on the savory side, and ginger and cinnamon on the sweet side. Cinnamon in particular is traditionally used in Moroccan savory stews.
The best part? A squeeze of lemon and a handful of fresh herbs at the end as a garnish. The acid brings a brightness to the dish that’s the perfect counterpoint to the darker, savory flavors in this chickpea stew.
Ways to serve it
This Moroccan chickpea stew tastes fantastic as is, but serve it with a whole grain to make it even more filling! Here are a few options:
- Quinoa: Quinoa makes a filling counterpoint to this stew: and it’s also gluten-free! It’s not traditionally served in Moroccan cuisine so use couscous to be more true to the cuisine.
- Couscous: Couscous is tiny pasta, and it’s a great fit with a Moroccan stew! It also is very quick to cook. Since it’s made with wheat, it’s not suitable for gluten-free diets.
- Bulgur wheat: Bulgur wheat is traditional in Middle Eastern cuisine and is a great fit with this stew.
- Rice: Rice is another easy grain to serve with this stew! Use long grain white rice or brown rice.
How to make Moroccan chickpea stew
This Moroccan chickpea stew is very simple to put together and a hearty vegan sweet potato recipe everyone will love. The ingredient may seem long, but that’s mainly due to the spices, most of which are probably already on hand in your pantry. The process is ultra simple: sauté the veggies, add spices and broth, then simmer until the potatoes are tender and your kitchen smells amazing.
This chickpea stew recipe is a fan-favorite that’s been a hit with readers for years; we even put a version in our cookbook! It’s vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free, so hits many diet requirements. Serve it anytime you need a cozy, plant-packed meal!
More plant based dinner recipes
This stew is one of our fan-favorite plant-based dinner recipes that readers come to again and again! Here are a few more tasty ways to eat dinners packed with plants:
- Go for Easy Vegan Tacos or Easy Vegan Meatballs
- Mix up Quick Hummus Bowls
- Try Easy Kale Soup, Chickpea Soup with Rice or Sweet Potato Curry
- Opt for Easy Vegan Taco Salad
This Moroccan chickpea stew recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant based, dairy-free, gluten-free (with quinoa), and refined sugar free. Keep in mind, couscous is not suitable for gluten-free diets.
Moroccan Chickpea Stew
This Moroccan chickpea stew is hearty and satisfying: packed with healthy vegetables and a savory blend of spices!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry quinoa or 1 recipe Easy Couscous*
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 large sweet potatoes (about 1 ¾ pounds)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon each paprika and ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon each ground coriander, ground turmeric, and ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon each kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 2 pinches cayenne pepper
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained (or 1 ½ cups cooked)
- 3 cups baby spinach (or chopped spinach)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
- 1 lemon, for garnish
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the quinoa using the stovetop method or Instant Pot method. When it’s done, sprinkle with a little kosher salt to taste.
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Chop the sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté about 1 minute.
- Stir in the paprika, cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir about 30 seconds, then add diced tomatoes and broth.
- Bring to a boil, then add sweet potatoes and drained and rinsed chickpeas. Simmer 25 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the spinach in the last 2 minutes.
- Serve over the quinoa, garnished with chopped cilantro, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and a dollop of Greek yogurt.
Notes
*Serve with rice, couscous, or bulgur wheat (couscous and bulgur are not suitable for gluten-free diets).
Whole family LOVED this recipe. subbed butternut squash for the sweet potatoes. Used fire roasted tomatoes. Absolutely delicious.
I take dry quinoa to mean uncooked, but fortunately I didn’t use 2 cups! 2 cups uncooked quinoa makes 6 cups cooked! I like leftovers, but that’s a lot of quinoa. I cut the recipe a bit here and there for two of us but used the whole can of tomatoes and all the wonderful spices. Very tasty indeed! Thank you.
I made this delicious Moroccan Chickpea Stew for dinner tonight. WOW!!!! The flavors are fantastic! My husband and I both had seconds and agreed this is a keeper! Thanks so much ;)
This was absolutely delicious! I will definitely be adding this to my weekly rotation of recipes. I used white beans instead of chickpeas and tricolor quinoa. Really yummy!
Hi. This is a yummy recipe; I even fed it to my 20-month-old grandson! However, it would be easier to have a description of how you intend for the ingredient to be prepped right next to it. For instance, I find “1 onion, diced” & “3 garlic cloves, minced” much more efficient rather than reading through instructions, going backward & forward. Makes me cranky (as does cooking for myself at age 75!). Oh well, can’t please everyone. Thanks for the many fun recipes….
I love your recipes – having been a vegetarian (actually mostly veg with some fishies, so pescatarian) ALL my life – it’s fun to read modern “takes” on plant based menus like yours. They make everything seem easy, accessible & delicious !
I am wondering if you have suggestions for those of us who truly dislike quinoa?
Very aware of all its remarkable qualities… yada yada… but I personally dislike the texture/consistency of it not to mention those little hairy eyeball bits.
Maybe in some of your GREAT recipes you could mention other grains which might complement the dish ?! THANKS for all of it.
Made the Moroccan stew tonight everyone loved it. I added zucchini and maybe yellow raisins or prunes next time
When simmering the sweet potatoes and chickpea mix, should the lid be on or off?
Thanks.
The lid should be off. Thanks for asking!
I loved this recipe when I first made it! Can it be frozen?
Yes!
Best thing I’ve eaten in ages! I used farro instead of quinoa but followed everything else to the letter. What a great blend of spices
I second the comments recommending double the seasonings and triple the garlic! It was disappointing when I followed the recipe but went back the next day and added the extra stuff- fabulous!
Outstanding!!! I didn’t have any spinach on hand so subbed in some steamed broccoli at the end for green appeal and added some vegeta for extra flavour. Other than that, followed it to the letter and my goodness. Super super yummy!! Thanks so much for a delicious recipe.
The best! I am not a vegetarian by any means but do enjoy tasty vegetarian dishes and do like to have some to share when my vegetarian friends visit. This is so easy to make, is so tasty that it’s become a regular meal for me.
OK, after setting the quinoa to cooking, one then goes about sautéing vegetables, adding tomatoes and broth to a boil, then adding the sweet potatoes and garbanzos. When does one add the cooked quinoa?
It’s simply served over the quinoa — we’ve clarified this in the recipe! Thank you.
I’ve made this recipe 3 times and I like it better every time! I added about 2 cups more water to cover the sweet potatoes, that helped them cook and the stew was not a bit watery at the end. Didn’t have quinoa so served it with cous cous. Love the combination of spices! This stew is so delicious. My husband and I really enjoyed it!
Thank you for making it! :)
Love your cookbook. And the recipe. The easy of making. And the wonderful taste .the family are asking for the recipes and are still full hours later. Thank you so very much.
So glad to hear this! Thanks for making them :)
You know, that may be a lot of spices, but it’s the exact spice mixture which makes up ras el hanout, which you can buy in jars. Could save you a lot of time and effort.
So good, perfect blend of spices! Definitely will make again.
So glad you enjoyed!
Oh my goodness – this was fantastic! I have been trying to incorporate more plant-based meals into my routine, so I was happy to stumble across this recipe. I’ll be making it again for sure. Thanks for sharing!
Am I missing the apricots in the recipe? I see something about it in the blog post but not listed in the ingredients. Thank you!
The paragraph that mentioned apricots was referring to the version of this recipe in our book, Pretty Simple Cooking! We added apricots in our book version, but this version on our website doesn’t have them. Thanks for asking!
I doubled the spices and used minced ginger. Added an extra can of chickpeas, celery, carrots, pepper and an extra cup of stock. I also mashed some of the stew in the pot before adding the spinach which really thickened the stew. It was delicious!
This was delicious. I added coconut milk for creaminess. It paired perfectly with salmon and quinoa. Saving this recipe for next time.
Looks great. Will have to modify for No Oil.salt, or sugar. I saute in veg. broth. We’re heavy on spice flavors here so based on other reader’s input, might have to up the spice amounts. But will test for sure. Would like to see more No SOS (Salt,Oil, Sugar) recipes!
After reading the comments, I made this today doubling the spices. My only other changes were fresh ginger, lots more garlic (we’re very safe from vampires in our house), and double vegetable broth because we wanted it a bit thinner. I wasn’t sure, so I used the juice from the canned tomatoes too. The tomato flavour was a little overpowering so I think I’ll try draining them next time. I’m not super fast at chopping, but I think this took about 20ish minutes active prep time for me.
We think it’s really really good!!! and I’m super jazzed to have another go to recipe other than chana masala for chickpeas. As written, it would be enough spice if my mother-in-law was coming to dinner because she can’t take too much spice anymore. We could triple the spices for ourselves to make it bolder, but I think triple might have overwhelmed the flavour mix with the vegetables. I’m new to pressure cooking. Could you do this in a pressure cooker? I’m guessing saute the onions and garlic, toss in everything except the spinach and and chickpeas and pressure cook maybe 10 minutes?
Not to rain on anyone’s parade, but this is super bland. I had to double the onions, triple the garlic and spices, and reduce it down by more than half in order to end up with something that tasted more like water. By the time it was palatable, there was not nearly enough liquid to cook the potatoes. I was in the kitchen for 4 hours with an overflowing sink full of dishes. I think this problem is bigger than just a case of “the stock I used wasnt good.” :(
Just tried it and it was really good! I did substitute the cayenne pepper for red pepper flakes, fresh ginger for ground ginger, chicken stock for the vegetable one (same amount called for in the recipe for all). I did not add the cilantro at the end and doubled the ingredients because it was missing some flavor to me. I had it with farro and truly enjoyed the yogurt on top. It added such creaminess to the dish. I would definitely do this again.
I made this and it was really good! I love the combo of spices!! Since I did make this in a crockpot I added more veggie broth for moisture.
Just made this today, it was really good! Yum! Thank you for the recipe, will definitely make this again!
So glad you enjoyed!
Thanks for the recipe. Maybe I’m just not a fan of cilantro because the helping I had without it was better than with it. I also don’t understand the 15 minute prep time estimate. It took me almost an hour and a half until I was ready to eat.
I love your website (great recipes and the videos are super helpful) and just bought your book on bookshop.com. Thanks for feeding me during the Great Isolation.
You’re most welcome! Let us know what you enjoy from the book!
This was really delicious. So good to find a super simple recipe that uses pretty much just pantry items and is still super delicious. Served with couscous instead of quinoa and it was really yummy. A+!
This was great! My children loved it. I must say that I CHEATED a bit and made it my own. I doubled all the spices and added a half tea spoon fresh ginger. I used Rogan Josh Curry Simmer Sause at the end and simmered it in with the beans, and potatoes. I added yellow squash because I didn’t have enough sweet potatoes.
I tried this recipe tonight and felt it was lacking in flavor a bit. It just didn’t wow me. It was okay, but not great. Won’t be making this again.
I have never left a comment regarding a recipe before. This was SPECTACULAR! Definitely keeping this recipe and will be making it frequently.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting :)
Do you pre-cook chickpeas since you mention there 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas or just soak them overnight?
Thank you.
Hi! We use either canned or pre-cooked for these.
My husband and I are trying to eat healthier. I found your recipe and thought I would give it a try. I didn’t know for sure if I would like the sweet potatoes with the spices, but it was delicious! Thank you for sharing your great recipe!
Oh fantastic! So glad yo hear it and thank you for giving it a try, even if you were sure about it at first!
Made this a couple nights ago and it was delicious! Bonus is we get to enjoy the leftovers tonight. Lucky us! Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU for making it :)
Yum. Definitely trying this today!! So healthy and full of flavours.
Oh thank you! Let us know how it turned out — we’d love to hear!
Tried this last night, following the recipe, exactly. It is excellent! I was looking for a vegetarian option for a dinner party. It’s easy with a wonderful balance of flavors. Thank you!
Oh wonderful — I’m so glad this was a hit! Thank you for letting us know!!
This recipe was easy to make and absolutely delicious! Perfect blend of spices. I will definitely make this again.
This has become one of my standby recipes when guests come over. It’s always a hit. Thanks!!!
I was just looking for the best way to cook sweet potatoes to add to another recipe I found…. And came across this very well-timed gem. Update: turmeric & black pepper included in your recipe are the new super element. :)
Thank you! I’m going to work on the idea of setting intentions this year instead of stressing over “should-do’s”… And why I do what I do. I hope this new year finds you well and setting and fulfilling intentions.
This recipe looks like a great start and hearty, nourishing and warming- perfect winter dish, even if it does feel like spring in the mid-Atlantic.
Cheers!
Great recipe, loved it. Amazing flavours, loved the cinnamon and ginger in it. I recommend replacing the quinoa though for obvious reasons (ethical, price). I’d replace it for couscous or bulgur. :-)
Great looking recipe. What did you use for broth? Just fill to cover?
Made this recipe tonight, it did not dissappoint. Easy to make and a ton of flavor!!
I linked to this recipe in my March Real Food Monthly Meal Plan. I love Moroccan flavors and thrifty ingredients.
Found this courtesy of the nest feature on stews. Made it for dinner tonight. We just happened to have all ingredients on hand but I decided to use fresh ginger. So delicious. I love the fresh lemon on top. Great favors, very nice warm hearty dish. Thanks!
My entire family loved this! Even my 5, 7 and 9 year old kids gobbled it up! Thank you! We are trying to go vegetarian and finding good recipes like this are helpful!!
Julie
This was fantastic! My hubby said it was one my best dinners!
Thanks, Caroline! So glad you liked it!
It’s been a month but tonight I reheated the leftovers of this amazing stew from the freezer and it was still DELICIOUS :) thanks for a great recipe!
You are so welcome – so glad you enjoyed it!
This was amazing! Thanks so much for making healthy eating so tasty and fun!
You are so welcome, Molly – it is our pleasure!
What a great recipe! I love moroccan spices flavors and really enjoy that you’ve served it over quinoa rather than rice. Always a preference for me!
I’m hosting a Quinoa link up party on my site, Queen of Quinoa, and would love for you to enter this recipe if you’d like :)
The event is called Thank Goodness It’s Quinoa (TGIQ) and is hosted bi-weekly. You can visit this weekend’s here:
http://www.queenofquinoa.me/2013/01/thank-goodness-its-quinoa-tgiq-2/
Hope to see you there! And thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!
Thanks, Alyssa! Happy to hear of your passion for quinoa – we love it too!
Great recipe! I’ll be linking up to it in my post tomorrow :)
Thanks, Leanne! Your Mediterranean stew looks wonderful!
I made this tonight and it was delicious! We didn’t have any plain greek yogurt, so we used sour cream and it was yummy. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!
This looks amazing!! I really want to give this a go! Just wondering if you could tell me how many people this recipe serves? Thanks!! x
Ooops, I thought for certain I had included that in the recipe — thanks for letting me know! I would say 4 to 6 servings, and have updated the recipe to match. Thank you!
Anything with sweet potatoes makes me weak in the knees…going to be making this for sure! Newest follower…coming from The Fresh Exchange. I love growing my cooking knowledge {going vegetarian this year} and can’t wait to follow along!
Sweet potatoes have that effect on us too! I kept thinking that would wear off but I haven’t tired of them yet :) Glad to make the connection — thanks for saying hello!
I made this for dinner tonight and I loved the flavors! I didn’t have any yogurt, so didn’t add that, but it was still good (although, it would have been good with the yogurt, too). I was worried about how the spinach would be in it, but it actually worked very well. Thanks for such a great recipe!
You are so welcome! We’re so glad to know it turned out tasty :)
Looks so good! Love moroccan flavors!
I made this today and it was delicious! Since I was cooking for a whole week for the family, I added the lemon after the soup cooled rather than as a garnish. I heated it up for dinner and it was perfection!
Thanks, Ericka! I’m so glad to hear you tried it out and enjoyed it too. And that it reheated well — that’s always a good test (we like cook for the week all at once too!).
Mmm! I’ve been wondering about Moroccan flavors lately, I haven’t experimented much with anything Moroccan except a couple dishes. This looks great and the spices sound wonderful! I need to try this out :)
Yes, we’re fairly new to Moroccan – but love everything we’ve tried in that style! The spices are great for a comforting feel :)
This looks absolutely fantastic. I bet it’d be good with chicken, too!
You guys, this is amazing. Recipe, photo, your intentionality with your blog, everything. Sweet potatoes are at the top of my most-missed foods list! We have purple ones, but they’re not the same. Hope you’re well! :)
Thanks Lindsay! Bummer that there aren’t sweet potatoes in Cebu — not sure how we would manage :) Lentils, I guess…
I’m so glad your holidays have been full of friends and happy moments. This stew looks and sounds incredible! Wish I could have a bowlful for lunch today.
Thanks! It’s a perfect wintry meal — you should try it :)
Mmm…I normally make my sweet potatoes the same way, either mashed or oven roasted. I always forget there are other ways to make it. Sounds yummy!
We’re huge roasting fans as well! I’d do it that way every time, but I suppose it’s good to have a few other methods :)
This looks so good! Chickpea and sweet potato is such a homey, earthy combination. :) Hooray for intention, and happy new year!
What a fabulous recipe! So hearty and healthy :)
This looks wonderful! I’ve cut out legumes, so I may need to omit the chickpeas but everything looks great. I love all the spices you used in it.
Thanks! We tried a version taking out a few of the spices, but it seems that they are all essential! :) Hope you enjoy it!
I will be trying this but can’t do cayenne pepper (due to acid reflux disease)
It’s amazing how some spices can change your basic sweet potato. So yummy and I love the high protein quinoa with the stew.
This looks so wonderful! I can’t wait to make it asap. Thanks for sharing!
I must be having a slow day, when I clicked on this recipe I was like, “huh, I think I’ve eaten something like this before….” And then I saw the recipe ;)
Looks lovely and I could totally go for a bowl of this right now!
Haha — yes, thanks for the inspiration, Erin! It’s one of our new faves :)
I love the idea of a year of intention – I’ve seen several people talking about the idea and it makes so much more sense to me than empty resolutions. I look forward to seeing where your intentions take you this year!
Thanks, Kathryn! We so appreciate your support — and look forward to seeing how intentions play out for you this year as well!
Yum! I love Moroccan food. This looks fantastic. I’ll definitely be making this over the weekend.
I LOVE this recipe and your recipe book! They are the awesome combination of easy and delicious. Thank you!