This Moroccan stew with chickpeas and sweet potatoes is an easy plant based dinner recipe: it’s incredibly flavorful featuring a blend of Moroccan spices.
How do I eat more plant based recipes? This is a question that Alex and I get all the time. It’s what inspired us to write our vegetarian cookbook, Pretty Simple Cooking. And it’s why we create plant based recipes every week here on A Couple Cooks! We’re always looking for delicious ways to eat plant based foods.
This Moroccan stew recipe is one of our top plant based recipes we refer to people who want to eat more plants. Why? It’s ultra flavorful, with a blend of Moroccan spices that’s truly irresistible! And it’s full of nutrient rich vegetables: sweet potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes and spinach. We like to serve it with quinoa for a delicious plant based dinner that’s also gluten free. If you eat some dairy, add a dollop of Greek yogurt. And most definitely a squeeze of lemon. Keep reading for the Moroccan stew recipe!
What is Moroccan stew?
What makes this recipe a Moroccan stew? Well, it takes ideas from Moroccan cuisine and translates them into an everyday stew recipe. The chickpea stew tastes 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.
Of the Moroccan elements, the easiest to spot is the spice blend! We’ve used 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. Another Moroccan element: using sweet flavors to offset the savory, which is where the sweet potatoes come in! We re-tooled a version of this Moroccan chickpea stew recipe in Pretty Simple Cooking and even added apricots for more sweetness.
A final Moroccan element: adding a squeeze of lemon and a handful of fresh herbs at the end as a garnish. The added acid brings a brightness to the dish that’s the perfect counterpoint to the darker, savory flavors in this Moroccan stew.
Related: Want to cook chickpeas from dry in less than 1 hour? Here’s our pressure cooker chickpeas recipe.
How to make Moroccan stew
This Moroccan chickpea stew is very simple to put together. The ingredient list looks deceptively 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: saute veggies, add spices and broth, then simmer until the potatoes are tender and your kitchen smells amazing.
We prepared this as a meal to take to friends who just had a baby–and they gave their seal of approval as well! So, add it to your list of meals to bring to your friends who just had a baby! It’s vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free, so hits many diet requirements. Serve the Moroccan stew alongside rice or quinoa for a seriously cozy meal.
Related: Try our Instant Pot Rice or Instant Pot Quinoa
Looking for plant based dinner recipes?
Aside from this Moroccan stew, here are some of our favorite plant based dinner recipes on A Couple Cooks:
- 15-Minute Gnocchi with Romesco Sauce
- Tomato Basil Gnocchi Soup
- Mango Black Bean Chili
- Chickpea Couscous Bowls with Tahini Sauce
- BBQ Bean Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
- Vegetarian Gumbo
- Easy Vegetarian Recipes for Beginners
- Easy Healthy Dinner Recipes
This recipe is…
This Moroccan stew recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant based, and refined sugar free.
Print
Moroccan Stew with Chickpeas and Sweet Potatoes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
Description
This Moroccan stew with chickpeas and sweet potatoes is an easy plant based dinner recipe: it’s incredibly flavorful featuring a blend of Moroccan spices.
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked quinoa
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 large sweet potatoes (about 1 ¾ pounds)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon 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 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.
- Dice the onion and mince 3 cloves garlic. Chop the sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Saute the onion for about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute about 1 minute.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, and 2 pinches cayenne pepper. Stir about 30 seconds, then add diced tomatoes and 2 cups 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 3 cups spinach in the last 2 minutes.
- Serve garnished with chopped cilantro, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and a dollop of Greek yogurt.
Notes
Inspired by a combination of Naturally Ella and The Daily Dish
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Moroccan
Keywords: Moroccan Stew, Moroccan Chickpea Stew, Sweet Potatoes, Chickpeas, Stew, Soup, Vegetarian, Vegan, Vegan Stew, Plant Based
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!
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!
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 :)
This looks so wonderful! I can’t wait to make it asap. Thanks for sharing!
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 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)
What a fabulous recipe! So hearty and healthy :)
This looks so good! Chickpea and sweet potato is such a homey, earthy combination. :) Hooray for intention, and happy new year!
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 :)
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 :)