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.
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I can’t believe it! My husband and my preteen donate this AND asked for seconds! Thank you so much for a quick easy & nuturing meal.
SO happy to hear, Freida! Thank you for your note!
This is an excellent soup. I went to an all veg. place about a year ago and had a Moroccan Lentil Chick pea Soup and LOVED it. So looked for one on web. This is an excellent replica – or perhaps even better. I try to make it at least once a week. SO filling. So healthy and good for you. Hubby loved it. ME TOO.
THANK YOU
Hooray, Hooray, Cheryl! Thank you for your note :D YES to a found recipe from a favorite. I love it when that happens! SO happy you two enjoyed the soup!
Thanks for the great recipe! I made this tonight and the spice mix was divine! Planning to try your African peanut stew next :-) Cheers -Lauren
Hi Lauren! Thank you for your note, and giving the recipe a go! Isn’t the spice mix so lovely? AND, yes to the African peanut stew. I hope you love it!
I decided to try this recipe as it looked amazing and I was curious about the play of the cinnamon in this dish. Actually, the only time I had cinnamon was in the tea and sweet dishes,. The result was divine. Thank you for sharing it.
Hi Paulo! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! SO happy to hear! Isn’t the cinnamon such a nice surprise?
Traci: I see several recipes that call for coconut oil. What is the reason for that? I always use olive oil and wonder if I need to buy and use coconut oil, or if I am O.K. just using my olive oil.
Thanks!
Hi Moira! I use coconut oil a lot in my savory cooking, but in savory applications, you can almost always use olive oil. In baked recipes, use the oil that the recipe indicates, otherwise you could have unintended results. I hope this helps!
I really enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much!
Often I find moroccan stews can taste a little flat, but this was excellent. I added a tiny blob of marmite for depth of flavour and about 100g chopped dried apricots, and slightly less water so it could be served over rice. I also simmered for about 45 mins as my lentils were firmer.
Will definitely be making this again – it’s so easy and convenient to make as mostly it’s just left to do it’s thing, which is a win for me. Plus a cheap store cupboard standby too. Thanks a lot!
Hi Olivia! Thank you for your note and tips! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe… and I love how low cost it is too!
This stew is sooo yummy, and easy to throw together on top of that. We’ve made it at least three times since discovering it a few weeks ago. It’s been added to our list of winter favorites <3
SO happy to hear Erin! Thank you for your note, rating and giving the recipe a go!
Delicious! Great for a chilly winter/early spring day.
Hi Vira! So happy to hear you enjoyed the stew! Thank you for your note and rating :D .
Delicious and easy vegan stew! I added some dino kale that we had and used rainbow carrots for color. Even my (sometimes) picky partner liked it, especially with the coconut cream on top. Will be eating this all week at work!
Loved this recipe! Has some heat & tons of flavor ! The cilantro & coconut milk add the perfect touch. Thanks !
Hi Mary! Thank you so much for your note! Isn’t the coconut milk so nice? So happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe!