A warming stew for busy evenings, Moroccan Butternut Squash Chickpea Stew is on the table in about 45 minutes. Chickpeas provide bulk and texture while butternut squash offers a hint of sweetness while balancing punchy Moroccan spices. Share simply or with couscous, flatbread and a dollop of Greek yogurt or coconut cream! This recipe is vegetarian or vegan and gluten free.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recipe Review: “Six stars, no 7 ! This is flippin amazing!!!!” ~ Kim
Always Cozy Butternut Chickpea Stew
What is it about soup/stew that checks all the boxes? Hearty, better the next day and freezer friendly. Too, I find soup and stews to be the easiest of recipes to make. And especially this time of year when the days are so short.
Enter Moroccan Butternut Chickpea Stew! Similar to this reader favorite Moroccan Lentil Chickpea Stew, but this recipe incorporates Fall’s favorite sweet butternut squash.
This Recipe Is
- bodly spiced
- rich and hearty
- so fragrant
If you enjoy homemade soup recipes, you’ll love this rich and hearty stew.
About the Key Ingredients
Simple ingredients produce the most mouthwatering flavors. Here are the key ingredients you’ll need:
- Ground Spices – cinnamon, cumin, coriander add warmth and flavor. It may seem like a lot of cinnamon in this stew, at 1 3/4 teaspoon, but it blends with the savory spices and flavors beautifully.
- Veggie Broth – I use low sodium Better Than Bullion Vegetable Broth concentrate brand. Find it in a glass jar near the carton veggie broth varieties. Be sure to get low sodium, so you have more control over the salt.
- Butternut Squash – about one small squash, diced. Honey nut is also quite nice in this stew and offers a little more sweet flavor.
- Cooked Chickpeas – home-cooked chickpeas or canned add texture and bulk.
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How to Make Moroccan Butternut Chickpea Stew
step by step
I usually pair this stew with a simple salad and flatbread or couscous, but it’s hearty enough all on its own.
Traci’s Tips
- Consistency: For a thinner stew, add a 1/2 C of additional vegetable broth after adding the chickpeas towards the end of cooking.
- Get Ahead: prep the veggies two days ahead and pulling this recipe together is even quicker.
- Sourdough Pita Bread or Flatbread/naan makes a sumptuous vehicle for scooping up this rich chickpea stew.
Moroccan Butternut Squash Chickpea Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon Coconut Oil, or Olive Oil
- 1 cup (120 grams) Yellow Onion, medium dice
- 1 3/4 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Ground Corriander
- 1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt, or adjust to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Minced Garlic, about 2 small cloves
- 2 cups (455 grams) Vegetable Broth, I use low sodium
- 1 cup (247 grams) Water, or more for soupier stew
- 1, 28 ounce (793 grams) Can of Crushed Tomatoes
- 2 cups (220 grams) Carrots, sliced into coins, about 3 medium carrots
- 2 1/2 cups (355 grams) Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and cut into bite size pieces, about 1 small butternut
- 1, 15 ounce (425 grams) Can of Chickpeas, about 2 cups, drained and rinsed. You can use cooked from dry chickpeas if you like.
- Fresh Lemon
For Serving (optional):
- Lemon Wedges
- Full Fat Coconut Milk or Greek Yogurt
- Cilantro or Microgreens
- Flatbread and/or Couscous
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 butternut squash. Stir. Bring to a boil, then turn to medium low and simmer for 25 minutes or until the butternut is tender. The stew will thicken as it cooks. Add the chickpeas and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the chickpeas are warmed 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 or microgreens. For the coconut cream, 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. Serve with lemon wedges and naan, Sourdough Pita Bread or couscous.
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!
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Pretty tasty… Added preserved lemons… Yummy!
Thank you for your note and tip, Leslie! Preserved lemons (!!) sound amazing!
I made this stew for dinner tonight and it was a hit! I did, however, add chopped boneless, skinless chicken thighs and substituted chicken broth for the vegetable broth. I served it with lemon wedges, plain Greek yogurt and cilantro. Yummy, yummy, yummy!!! Thank you for this delicious recipe. I will serve it again. Next time as written, though.
Hi Beth! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go. SO happy to hear you enjoyed the stew!
THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS AND WILL BE A PART OF OUR MEATLESS DAYS!!!
Hooray! Thank you for your note, Dee! Day made :D
This was okay. I did use frozen squash instead of fresh and put in less water to compensate. We like spice so the only other thing I did differently was add some cayenne. I will probably make it again using fresh butternut squash.
Hi Jan…. definitely use fresh if you can. It makes all the difference!
Could you possibly replace the butternut squash with sweet potatoes? That’s what I have at home. I have all of the other ingredients
Hi Olivia! I think that would be splendid! Start checking the sweet potatoes at about 15 minutes and cook until just fork tender. I hope this helps and you enjoy the recipe!
Six stars, no 7 ! This is flippin amazing!!!! Merry Christmas to me !!!
Hi Kim! Thank you for your note and rating! So happy to hear it’s flippin amazing! :D Woooo!!!
Made this, and added two cubed potatoes. Came together surprisingly quickly. A delicious, hearty soup. Next time I will decrease cinnamon to 1 tsp, increase cumin to 1 tsp, and up the heat with some cayenne or harissa. It was just a bit too dominated by the cinnamon for our taste, which seemed to increase over several days, as we noshed through the pot if soup. . The guests I served this to absolutely loved it, as did we. Delicious with some gluten free flat bread.
Tracie,
I made the Moroccan Chickpea Stew(soups and stews are my favorites to prepare) last week and it was perfect for our snowy New England night! Thank, Laura
Exceptional! Love love love. My house smelled divine as an added bonus.
I added potatoes (just cause I was cleaning out my fridge after Thanksgiving). But it was the perfect hearty stew for the snowy raw weather that just came through the Northeast.
Can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Hi Colette! Thank you so much for your note, giving the recipe a go and tip on the potatoes (yum!) – now that you’ve a clean fridge, there more room for soup! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
This looks awesome! It seems to be exactly what is needed as we slowly slide into wintertime. Thanks!
So happy to hear Charlie! LMK if you give it a go!