Recipes

Meatless Mondays: Moroccan Chickpea and Vegetable Stew

Be kinder to the planet in 2011 by embracing Meatless Mondays. Try this rockin' Moroccan recipe tonight: chickpea and vegetable stew served over brown rice

By Catherine RBarr /

Credit: Catherine Roscoe Barr

The spices in this Moroccan chickpea stew inject tons of flavour

Experimenting with foods from different countries is so much fun. Tonight explore the incredible cuisine of Morocco with this vegan Moroccan stew

I am so incredibly blessed to have such an awesome kitchen setup.

I have nearly every gadget and doodad a girl could ever dream of, and I also have an amazing spice drawer. It’s alphabetized; so cool, I know.

(One more thing that’s awesome about my kitchen? My cupboard of awesomeness pictured to the left!) 

I love experimenting with foods from other cultures, and spices are a great way to inject lots of flavour without lots of calories. 

This was my first attempt at Moroccan cuisine and the result was phenomenal. The sweetness of the raisins and sweet potatoes against the kick of the cumin, curry and chili was amazing, and overall this stew was so hearty and satisfying.

Served over delicious brown rice, this meal has all your bases covered – complete protein from the chickpeas and rice, carbohydrates from the vegetables, and healthy fats from the olive oil and peanut butter.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lrg onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 med carrot, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lrg sweet potato, chopped
  • 1 lrg Yukon Gold potato, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 lrg can diced tomatoes 
  • 2 tsp ginger, grated
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper 
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed (I always buy organic chickpeas so I don’t bother draining or rinsing)
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups brown rice

Instructions

  1. Cook brown rice according to package instructions.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick pot over medium-high heat.
  3. Add onion, celery and carrot.
  4. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
  5. Add all remaining ingredients except raisins, chickpeas, peanut butter and cilantro.
  6. Mix well, reduce heat and allow to simmer until potatoes are soft when pierced with a knife, about 25 to 30 minutes.
  7. Add remaining ingredients and allow to heat through.
  8. Serve over brown rice.

Catherine Roscoe Barr, BSc Neuroscience, is a Vancouver-based writer, editor, and fitness professional. Before settling on the west coast she lived in Sydney, Toronto, Oregon, Montana, and practically everywhere in Alberta. She can be found jogging with her adorable dog, dining with her fabulous husband or voraciously reading anywhere comfy.