Spicy Moroccan Stew Recipe

I’ve been blessed with lots of daughters and daughters-in-law who are better cooks than I am. And they frequently come over to cook in my kitchen. Not only does that afford us extra time to visit with them, but it allows our family to sample some fantastic new dishes at the same time. Which is how we were introduced to this wonderfully spicy Moroccan stew. It quickly became a Flanders family favorite!

My daughter (Rebekah Lyn) was first fed this flavorful, good-for-you stew by her sister-in-law (Rebekah Joy) and knew immediately the rest of the family would love it as much as she does. She doubled the recipe for our big crew and made the ground beef version, although my vegetarian son likes it better when I substitute lentils instead. Either way, it’s delish!

[To print this recipe, click here]

Ingredients for Moroccan Stew

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2-3 stalks celery
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 15-oz can chickpeas (drained & rinsed)
• 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 lb cauliflower florets (fresh or frozen)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 lb ground beef OR ½ cup lentils
• Warmed flatbread or naan (for serving)

Directions for making this dish:

Dice onion, garlic, and celery, then sauté for a few minutes in a large pot. Add spices and sauté for 2 minutes more.

Brown beef thoroughly (if you’re using beef). Skip this step if you’re making the vegetarian version.

Open the canned goods. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.

Stir undrained tomatoes and rinsed chickpeas into the stew.

Add broth, cover with lid, and turn heat to high until stew begins to boil. This is when you should add the lentils for the meatless version. Stir and leave until boiling once more, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Once lentils are done, add cauliflower and salt to taste. Cook for 5 minutes longer (to soften cauliflower slightly), then ladle into bowls and enjoy with a side of flatbread or naan.

More help in the kitchen

Love to cook? You can view a categorized list of my other recipe posts here: Our Favorite Recipes. Or — for even more Flanders family favorites, plus a wealth of ideas for making mealtime memorable — get a copy of my book Sit Down & Eat.

Want to revolutionize your meal planning? Then give freezer cooking a try! My kids and I took a class at our county extension office on how to do this. We brought our groceries along with us, and the instructor coached us through assembling the meals. It was a lot of fun to work together.

I realize not everybody has access to that kind of community educational offerings. But, thanks to the Internet, you can sign up for a FREE Freezer Cooking Class just like the one my family attended in person. The instructor provides a nice variety of delicious recipes (10 in total), a detailed shopping list, ready-to-print freezer labels, and step-by-step instruction on how to assemble everything in less than an hour.

So sign up today. Once you taste these flavorful dishes and experience the convenience of having two weeks’ worth of dinners ready to go, you’ll be sold on this meal prep method, just like I am!

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