Simple ingredients and texture rich with mouth-watering flavors; Moroccan Lentil Chickpea Stew comes together in about 45 minutes. Like my Moroccan Butternut Squash Stew, this chickpea stew is a community favorite! With a dollop of coconut cream or yogurt, a sprinkle of cilantro and flatbread, dinner is ready.
A Simple Moroccan Lentil Stew
As cooler temperatures set in, cozy soups and stews are on the agenda. If they’re simple to pull together, even better for busy weeknights.
Like this Simple French Lentil Soup, including lentils in soup and stew recipes is a no brainer and an essential ingredient in the vegetarian pantry. They’re quick cooking, have a nutty-earthy flavor and toothsome texture which makes them a perfect ingredient in stews.
In this Moroccan Lentil Chickpea Stew, warming spices bring out the best flavors. A hint of cinnamon gives it a little sweet and savory edge that’s such a nice surprise and the texture of toothsome lentils and creamy chickpeas is pure synergy! This soup is cooked on the stovetop and in one pot making cleanup a snap!
If you love homemade soup recipes, you’re going to love this cozy stew.
Look for French lentils in the bulk bins for best value.
At a Glance: How to Make Moroccan Lentil Chickpea Stew
Moroccan lentil chickpea stew is texture rich with warm, earthy flavors. It’s simple to pull together, and in one pot to help make cleanup a breeze. Pair this Moroccan stew with a simple salad and flatbread, but it’s hearty enough all on its own.
- First, in a large Dutch oven, saute the onions until softened.
- Second, stir in the aromatic spices, then the garlic. Take a deep inhale of deliciousness.
- Next, pour in the broth, water, tomatoes, carrots, and lentils. Bring to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas. You can use home cooked chickpeas or canned.
- Last, remove from heat and squeeze 1/2 a lemon over the stew.
The flavors are even better the next day for lunch, or leftovers and chickpea stew can just as easily be frozen if meal prep is on your agenda.
Stew is a most comforting meal during the coldest days. There’s nothing quite like preparing a simple meal, then sharing with family at the end of the day.
Traci’s Tips
- While there seems to be a lot of cinnamon in this Moroccan stew, 1 3/4 teaspoons, it balances out the warming spices and heat of the pepper flakes. It adds just a touch of sweet and savory and a bit interest.
- Make it Creamy: Serve with a dollop of full fat coconut milk, either from an unshaken can with fat skimmed off the top or simply a few tablespoons of coconut milk, or whole milk Greek yogurt.
- Share With: Flatbread or homemade Sourdough Pita Bread makes a sumptuous vehicle for scooping up this rich chickpea stew. Share with couscous to stretch this recipe further.
Moroccan Lentil Chickpea Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil, or Olive Oil
- 1 cup Yellow Onion, medium dice
- 1 3/4 teaspoons Cinnamon, ground
- 3/4 teaspoon Cumin, ground
- 1 1/4 teaspoon Coriander, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes , bump it up to 3/4 tsp for extra heat
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Cloves, microplaned (about 3 medium cloves)
- 2 cups Vegetable Broth, + more for a soupier stew
- 2 cups Water
- 28 ounces Crushed Tomatoes, from one large can
- 2 cups Carrots, Sliced in thin coins
- 1 cup Dry, Uncooked French Lentils
- 1 1/2 cups Cooked Chickpeas, drained (one 15oz can) or home cooked chickpeas
- 1 Lemon
- Full Fat Coconut Milk (the canned variety) or Whole Milk Yogurt for Serving
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, add the coconut oil and heat until shimmering. Add the onions and saute for 10 minutes on medium-low. A little charring is okay.
- Stir in the cinnamon, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes and sea salt. Add the garlic. Stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the broth, water, tomatoes, carrots, and lentils. Stir. Bring to a boil, then turn to medium low and simmer for 25 minutes. The stew will thicken as it cooks. Add the chickpeas and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the lentils are tender and chickpeas are cooked through. If a thinner stew is desired add more vegetable broth 1/2 C at a time. Remove from heat and squeeze 1/2 a lemon over the stew. Stir. Taste for salt adjustment.
- Ladle into soup bowls then garnish with coconut cream, or yogurt and cilantro. For the coconut cream, open and scoop out the soft layer of fat on the top to dollop on the stew. Otherwise, a few scoops of rich coconut milk can be spooned over top. Share With: Flatbread or homemade Sourdough Pita Bread makes a sumptuous vehicle for scooping up this rich chickpea stew. Share with couscous to stretch this recipe further.Â
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Made it? Leave a comment below!
The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications or helping other commentors.
This is delicious!I decided to make this as the weather turned cloudy and cold this weekend. Perfect dish for a cold afternoon. I used lime instead of lemon and poured this stew over an ancient grain mix from Costco. I found myself going back for more after my first bowl. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
Made this dish on Thursday and just had it today (Easter Sunday) with a dollop of sour cream, fresh coriander and lemon juice plus a little couscous it was so tasty. Definitely a lot more flavourful making it a few days before. Will certainly be having this again. Thank you so much Traci
Sour cream, fresh coriander and lemon juice FTW! Thank you for your note, Sue. A little couscous is perfection!
Dear Traci, made it last Sunday, turned out absolutely beautiful and my friends loved it, too. I was very sceptical about the amount of cinnamon as it seemed too much for my taste but it complemented the dish greatly. Thank you!
Hi Ksenia! Isn’t the cinnamon surprising? I am so happy to read your note and that you gave it a go! Thank you!!
Traci! I love love love your recipes. It is so difficult to find nutritious and also tasty vegetarian dishes. Your recipes always have surprising and exciting flavor combinations, and wonderful textures. I made your black bean burger before and based on that recipe, I had high hopes for this soup. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical at first because of the simplicity of the recipe, but I was not disappointed! The flavors just made me melt! Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Ande! Thank you for your note and kind words. I find spices to be a most important ingredient in cooking, so I’m always looking for new ways to enjoy them. I’m so happy you’re making from the blog! That burger…. we love it too!
i made this tonight and it was the perfect dinner on a snowy and chilly february evening. the spices were perfect and warming, the stew hearty, and my tummy happy. i served it over basmati rice topped with avocado slices (because i’m pretty sure i put avocado slices on everything ;) it would also be wonderful with roasted potato wedges or baked sweet potato. thanks for another delicious recipe, traci!
Hooray Kristin! So happy to hear you gave it a go and have a happy tummy! I love how you served it over basmati rice and avocado (I’m with you on the avocado!). I’m going to take your and Caroline’s (below) advice and whip up some sweet potato wedges with this saucy soup! SO happy you enjoyed it and for your note too! <3
Hi Traci,
Just wanted to let you know how much my family enjoyed this!! Made it for my mom’s birthday tonight. I served it over roasted sweet potato wedges- so good!! Your kabocha chili recipe is next on the list. Thanks so much!
I loved reading this, Caroline! You made it for your Mom’s birthday… thank you for allowing Vanilla And Bean to be a part of your celebration! I’m SO happy y’all enjoyed it and I am completely going to serve this with sweet potato wedges next time I make it! SO YUM! You know, I just roasted my last kabocha squash from the larder… I’ve stockpiled it in my freezer and I think I’ll be whippin up that chili again soon! I hope you enjoy it and thank you for your note!
Hello Traci. I’ve been following your blog for awhile now. Thanks for your yummy recipes. A question please – I’ve had a really hard time getting my husband to like legumes (it’s a texture thing for him) and I’m wondering if you think it might work to run a stick blender through this to break up the chickpeas a bit? Or would that totally ruin it and turn the lentils to mush? Thanks!
Hi Colleen! Thank you for your note and kind words :D Oh we must find a way to help your hubs enjoy legumes. For this recipe, you can easily use a stick blender to puree the ingredients. If you like, you can try transferring 1/2 the soup to a blender too, and then return it to the soup pot or just blend them all up for an ultra creamy soup! Here’s another soup, similar to this one, I blend half (for your reference): https://vanillaandbean.com/coconut-curried-french-lentil-soup/ I hope you and your husband enjoy the recipe, Colleen!
I’m not crazy about cinnamon in soups, however I really love chickpeas so I thought I would give this one a try. The cinnamon perfectly complemented the other spice in this delicious stew.. I’m on Whidbey Island as well and still loving the cold days and the bit of snow that we have had. I just finished with a nice steaming serving, however I had to go back for 1 more scoop because it was just so good….. Thank’s for sharing all of your wonderful recipes Traci~Cheers!< Denise
Yayyy! SO happy you gave it a go, Denise! Sometime a combination of certain ingredients are so surprising. I just love the cinnamon in this. Hooray for seconds and thank you for your kind words (can you believe… I just picked up some carrots from Prairie Bottom Farm?! )
Dear Traci, this looks so good! I love the combination of flavours and the pictures. Seems to be the perfect dish to provide protein for my vegetarian son who loves chickpeas as well. We just returned from a week of skiing in Bavaria- it was freezing, down to 4°F and it will be colder for the next days. Greetings! Christine
Hi Christine! Thank you for your note… I hope your son (and you too!) enjoy it. I think chickpeas are such a universal food… I’ve not met anyone who doesn’t looove them! Stay warm my dear!
We’ve had a few spring teasers lately here in the Northeast and I was just out fretting over my irises that were pushing up way too early as well. But they somehow know how to shut down when the long, cold days of winter return. My pussy willows are halfway opened and I love watching their progress in anticipation of the sun’s warmth. In lieu of that I can definitely cozy up to a bowl of this stew with such beautiful colors not unlike the sunsets I’ve been seeing lately. Stay warm, Traci!
Hi Jean… oh what a relief. So happy to hear about the irises… I’ve never let them go like this. The serviceberry’s too, they are ready to bust! So much anticipation! And the sunsets… I love your analogy <3