Moroccan vegetable stew with butternut squash and chickpeas, a wonderful dish of color and flavor, from the tender delectable squash to those chickpeas with that nice bit of nutty, add in some kale and we have a hearty, exotic, healthy meal. Furthermore, the array of spices will definitely tantalize your taste buds!
Song of the day: "Waving Flag" by K'naan
Our destination for Eat the World is Morocco
We are part of a group that travels virtually around the world learning and experiencing recipes from a plethora of cultures. This month we are in Morocco and I could not be happier. One of my favorites. Come with us on our journey around the world, more so, let's cook up some wonderful Moroccan food!
Moroccan vegetable stew with butternut squash and chickpeas
Walking through the markets now we are seeing the abundance of squash coming in. When searching for the recipe we wanted to try, we saw there was one that utilized squash and also chickpeas. Nicoletta and I decided this was the plate we wanted to experience, furthermore share it with all of you. Time to get into the kitchen with us and make up a pot of this Moroccan vegetable stew with butternut squash and chickpeas!
Ingredients
It has been a great year for produce, and also we feel very grateful that our friends Margaret and Raymond have been blessing us with their beautiful vegetables grown in their garden. Tomatoes, carrots, and so much more. Things we used in doing this recipe. Here is the list of things you will need to make this lovely Moroccan vegetable stew with butternut squash and chickpeas:
- Butternut squash
- Tomato
- Onions
- Black kale
- Raisins
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Sesame oil and vegetable oil
- Turmeric
- Curry powder
- Ground coriander
- Ground ginger
- Paprika
- Chili flakes
- Salt and pepper
Let's talk kitchen equipment
Not a lot needed for this recipe. This is it:
- Dutch oven/lid
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Wooden spoon
- Some ramekins and or small bowls for food prep
- Bowls for serving and spoons
Preparation of Moroccan vegetable stew with butternut squash and chickpeas
The thing I love about this dish, is that it is an all in one pot meal. No mess no fuss, works for us! Now let's get started!
- First, we wash and slice all our vegetables. Cut, peel, and chop our squash into bite size pieces. Then, we get all our spices into a small dish. Make sure our vegetable broth is ready to go, and now the cooking.
- Secondly, drizzle the oil into your Dutch oven, throw in the pressed whole garlic, the minced ginger, and sliced onion. Turn heat to a medium setting and begin to sauté for 10 minutes. Don't worry if the onions char a bit, this adds flavor to the mix.
- Once the onion has soften, we want to add in the spice mix. Give it a good stir forming a nice spice paste.
- Thirdly we add in the squash and carrots and coat them with that lovely spice paste. Now in goes the tomatoes. More so, you want to keep stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Also a great way for all those beautiful vegetables to get all seasoned up.
Time to add the last of the ingredients
We are close to finishing, just a few more things to toss in and then the easy part, slow cooking:
- At this time we need that broth. Pour it all in and with the wooden spoon, make sure to scrape the bottom to release any of that spiced goodness into the mix. We are going to let that simmer for 10 minutes.
- Next break up the kale and drop that in to the stewing pot. Stir nicely letting all the ingredient mingle. Cook for another 10 minutes.
The last ingredient for this Moroccan vegetable stew with butternut squash and chickpeas
Only one ingredient left and that is the chickpeas:
- I forgot to mention we used canned chickpeas. We rinse them in a colander, and Nicoletta peels all the loose skin off. After that is done, finally we can throw them into the stew.
- You may be asking why not put them in with everything else. I like to preserve some of that nutty, al dente texture, just to keep things interesting in the stew.
- Give it a good stir, taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Cover and turn heat to low. Let that simmer for 10 minutes or until the squash and carrots are fork tender. If your stew is too runny, just leave it partially covered. This will help evaporate any excess broth. Don't worry it does thicken up.
While the stew is simmering
At this time you have some time to make up some cous cous. Or maybe you want rice. Either way a good time to do it. We used a whole grain cous cous. Pretty easy. Just look on the package and see the amounts of water, oil, salt, and cous cous. Bring salted water with oil to boil, add in cous cous, stir, turn off heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes. Take lid off and fluff with a fork. That's it my friends, easy breezy beautiful!
Plating and garnishing
I love cooking with all those wonderful spices. It always fills the kitchen with such lovely aroma. Our stew is done. It has thickened and the carrots and squash are all nice and tender. First, give the stew a nice bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice, stir and spoon into your serving bowls. Drizzle in some plain yogurt and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. Add a wedge of lemon just in case someone wants more punch. This Moroccan vegetable stew with butternut squash and chickpeas is ready to serve!
Check out all the wonderful Moroccan dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!
- Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Kefta Tagine with Eggs in Tomato Sauce
- Culinary Adventures with Camilla : Briwat Bil Kefta + Other Moroccan-Inspired Bites
- Sneha’s Recipe: Keto Moroccan Whole Oven Roasted Chicken
- Sugarlovespices (us!): Moroccan vegetable stew with butternut squash and chickpeas
- Palatable Pastime: Moroccan Roasted Cauliflower with Sesame
- Kitchen Frau: Grated Carrot Salad with Oranges
- Pandemonium Noshery: Bissara - Moroccan Legume Soup
- A Day in the Life on the Farm: Harira
- CulturEatz: Chicken Bastilla
- Magical Ingredients: Spicy Moroccan Vegetable Tagine
Enjoy!
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Moroccan vegetable stew with butternut squash and chickpeas
Moroccan vegetable stew with butternut squash and chickpeas, a wonderful dish of color and flavor, from the tender delectable squash to those chickpeas with that nice bit of nutty, add in some kale and we have a hearty, exotic, healthy meal. Furthermore, the array of spices will definitely tantalize your taste buds!
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: serves 6 people 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons evo oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ tsp each cinnamon, cumin, coriander, ginger powder, paprika, curry, chili flakes
- salt
- 1 small butternut squash, about 4 cups, chopped
- 2 cups carrots, cut into rounds
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- a handful of raisins
- 1 bundle of kale
- 1 can chickpeas
- ½ lemon
To serve:
- cous cous, or naan bread, or rice
- lemon wedges
- chopped parsley
- plain yogurt
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, add the oil, garlic, ginger, and slivered onions and sauté for about 10 minutes on medium-low. Don't worry if the onions char a bit, this will add flavor to the mix.
- Add the mixed spices, salt, and mix everything well, forming a paste.
- Then, throw in the carrots and butternut squash and infuse with the oil. Coat them with that lovely spice paste, let that simmer a few minutes.
- Toss in the tomatoes, stir, season with salt and pepper, then pour in the broth. With the wooden spoon scrape the bottom of the pot loosening any of that caramelized spice paste into the broth. Finally add the raisins. Give it another good stir and taste for seasoning. Let that simmer on low to medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- Now tear up the kale and add it to the stew, and stir. Simmer for another 10 minutes then toss in the chickpeas. Stir again and cover. Turn heat to low and cook for another 10 minutes. If the stew seems too runny, just partially cover, this will help some of the broth to dissipate.
- While the stew is simmering it is a good time to cook up some rice, or warm up some naan. We used whole grain cous cous.
- Take cover off, turn off heat and squeeze some lemon juice over the top and serve.
Plating:
- Spoon stew into bowls, garnish with a drizzle of plain yogurt and a sprinkle of fresh parsley, add a wedge of lemon.
Notes
Moroccan vegetable stew is even more tasty the next day. It can also be frozen for several weeks. Freeze in containers and thaw overnight in the fridge.
You can use swiss chard or spinach instead of kale.
The recipe did call for cayenne, but we substituted chili flakes instead. If you want you can use the cayenne.
You can serve it with cous cous like we did, or rice, or naan bread.
This stew can be done in a slow cooker also.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: main
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Moroccan
Keywords: Moroccan food, butternut squash, vegetable stew, chickpeas, curry, turmeric, ginger, garlic, ethnic cuisine,
When I am not cooking, I enjoy playing musical instruments, singing, writing. I have learned over the years to live in gratitude and enjoy the moment.
Wendy Klik says
A perfect fall recipe. The flavor profile is so warm and inviting.
Thank you Wendy, we just love the Moroccan foods and this stew is exactly how you described it!
Cheers!
Evelyne CulturEatz says
What a beautiful and quite seasonal dish as well. I can almost taste all the flavours.
★★★★★
Thank you Evelyn, So happy you like this, the aroma and flavors just hug you and warm you up!
Have a wonderful cooking week!
Margaret@Kitchen Frau says
I can just imagine the smell in your kitchen as you made this delicious dish (I love how straightforward it is, too). I love seeing how creative you are in using up those garden vegetables - thank you. You really know how to elevate them and make them shine!
Your the sweetest Margaret, thank you so much for those heart felt and encouraging words. In reality the ingredients are what make the dish along with the passion you have. The end result luxuriously delicious and so appreciated!
Have a wonderful day!
Radha says
This comforting stew is perfect for the season. I love the flavors in this stew and the addition of raisins.
★★★★★