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.
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.
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I came across this recipe while looking for something with garbanzo beans. I love stews and I probably make too many curries than my family cares to eat, so this was a good fit. No curry. It was delicious! It has so much flavor and was really easy to make. I don’t cook with oil, so I just used a splash of water when the onions would start to stick. I added some broccoli, because it needed to be used, and it was a good addition. We topped it with a spoonful of coconut cream as recommended. It was super good, but it is good without the cream as well. I’ll definitely be making this again. Thank you so much! Totally made my Monday.
Hiii Jennifer! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note and rating! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the stew! I’m SO with you on Curries. I think I could eat them most days of the week, especially in Winter. Thank you for your tip on the splash of water and the broccoli!
This looks delicious. What would you say is the spice level on this dish? I’ve got two family members who are sensitive to or don’t like spicy food. Would you suggest cutting the red pepper flakes out of the recipe altogether?
Hi Linda! Thank you for your note. I’d say it’s mild to medium, but I like spicy food. To satisfy those who are sensitive, I’d leave the pepper flakes out, taste the final soup and if you want a bit of a kick, add a dash of Tabasco. Or, serve with Tabasco for those who’d like a little kick they can add a dash to their soup (a little goes a long way). I hope this helps and you enjoy the recipe!
We made the soup and it was so delish! My husband, son and I really enjoyed the warm flavors! Great for a cold winter day! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Cheryl! Thank you for your note, rating and giving the recipe a go! So happy to y’all are enjoying this cozy stew.
This is one of my favorite stew recipes for winter! I have been making it for a few seasons now, and I love to double it and freeze some for future meals. There is a lot of depth to the flavor and it is a great hearty soup for a chilly winter night.
Please keep posting more recipes! I stumbled on your website looking for a veggie stew and I just finished cooking this recipe about 2 hours ago and it is delicious!
Delicious flavours and so hearty!
Will absolutely cook this again and again
Hiii Jane! Thank you for note, rating and kind words! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the stew, again and again!
This was DELICIOUS! I made this in my Instant Pot! I sautéed my onions in water then out everything in the pot and cooked on Manuel for 10 minutes and then quick released. It was perfect! I added a few slices of avocado on to as well. My entire family (16, 23 and hubby) LOVED it and said I can definitely make this again!
Hi Leesa! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a comment and sharing your Instant Pot tips! Hooray! So happy y’all are loving this flavorful stew!
error in recipe, step 3 – should be ‘bring to a boil’ I think.
Good catch Tony! Thank you for your note!
I came across this recipe a little while ago because I was looking for something that incorporated lentils and chickpeas ( I have suddenly become obsessed with chickpeas 🤷♀️) . Anyway ,I’m not great at cooking , most times I order take away and I live a not so healthy lifestyle . I tried this recipe and thought “here we go again , I’m probably going to mess it up” since I’m not very confident when it comes to cooking . Once I made it I was actually pleasantly surprised. It was delicious , I ended up eating in the whole day . This is one of those recipes that you can add little things to it as well and just eat it forever. I’ve made it four times now and I have it for dinner and lunch at work , I’m actually in love with this recipe!
Hi Sandra! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a note! Aren’t chickpeas SO good? I’m thrilled to hear you’re enjoying the recipe…. it’s SO versatile!
Delicious! Easy, cheap & quick to make. We all loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
SO happy to hear Josie! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note!
Hi Traci,
Thank you once again for a most excellent recipe! I made it yesterday, we enjoyed it last night, and now look forward to the even-better leftovers reheated this evening. Easy to follow instructions, good, helpful pictures, tastes great, and all the ingredients were on hand (using brown lentils, which were fine). I remain a huge fan.
Hi Greg! Thank you so much for your note and giving the recipe a go! So happy to hear you’re enjoying it, and thank you for your tip on the brown lentils! Hooray!