When I crave a blast of flavor for dinner, I make a Moroccan chickpea stew. It's loaded with delicious vegetables and plump chickpeas that bathe in a spicy, harissa-flavored sauce.
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A nourishing, one-pot dinner
This chickpea stew inspired by Moroccan flavors is everything I want weeknight dinner to be: comforting, healthy, quick and easy. It tastes vibrant, with loads of veggies and the alluring aroma of harissa, a Moroccan spice paste of spices, garlic and red peppers. Don't be surprised if the diners at your table lick their plates clean!
If you love chickpeas in Mediterranean dishes like Lebanese chickpea stew and chickpea tagine, you will enjoy this recipe. Not only is it as delicious and full-flavored, it also serves as a wonderful illustration of how similar ingredients, with some tweaks, can yield completely different flavors.
I just made this stew for what must be the thousandth time when the temperatures in DC dipped unseasonably low this week. It was stew weather, and a good opportunity to use up the zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers and tomatoes in my fridge. Besides, I know that a big pot of stew would be good to have on hand for a busy week. It's wonderful for dunking a hearty bread, like this easy Moroccan bread, but it also brown-bags nicely with rice, bulgur or couscous.
The stew has a hefty serving of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Serve it with a whole grain like quinoa to bump up the protein even more. It's soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free and vegan, of course.
Thanks for this recipe. I have now made it several times and making it again at this moment. Yum. - Marja
Recipe card
Moroccan chickpea stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (see FAQs for oil-free version)
- 3 cups canned or cooked chickpeas (approximately two 15-oz cans. Drain liquid before using).
- 1 large onion (finely diced)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced, or put through a garlic press)
- 2 carrots (finely diced)
- 2 waxy potatoes (finely diced)
- 4 tomatoes (finely diced)
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 medium zucchini (finely diced. I used a zucchini and a yellow squash this time).
- 1 large bell pepper (any color, finely diced)
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (remove leaves from tough stems and run a knife through them. You can use 2 teaspoons of dried thyme instead).
- 2-4 heaping tablespoons harissa sauce (add some, taste, and add more as needed)
- 2 tablespoons parsley (for garnish)
Instructions
- Place the oil in the Dutch oven or large pot and add the onions and garlic to it with a pinch of salt. Turn on heat to medium and sauté the onions until they are soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add chickpeas, carrots, potatoes and tomatoes to the pot along with the ground coriander, ground cumin and turmeric. Mix well, then add two cups water or vegetable stock to the pot, bring to a boil, cover and let the vegetables cook until nearly tender, about five minutes.
- Add the zucchini, bell peppers and thyme to the pot and bring back to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and let the stew cook 7-8 minutes until all of the vegetables are tender.
- Stir in the harissa paste, a tablespoon at a time, until you get the heat you desire. Add salt to taste.
- Turn off heat and garnish the stew with parsley. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information
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Frequently asked questions about Moroccan chickpea stew
I did, but I've since included olive oil. You can make this recipe oil-free by using ¼ cup water or vegetable stock to sauté the onions and garlic instead of oil.
Instant Pot: Go through steps 1-3 using the "sauté" function of the Instant Pot but add all the spices, thyme and veggies - carrots, potatoes, zucchini and bell peppers - at the same time. Cover the Instant Pot and cook at high pressure for eight minutes. You can force-release 10 minutes after cooking has ended, or wait for the pressure to release naturally. After opening, return the Instant Pot to the sauté function and stir in the harissa and salt. Turn off once the stew comes back to a boil.
Slow cooker: Set the crockpot to high and follow steps 1 and 2. Immediately add the remaining veggies and thyme to the pot, cover, and cook on high for three hours or on low for five hours. Open the pot and stir in harissa and salt to taste.
You can find jarred harissa paste in the international aisle of most supermarkets and grocery stores. The spice level of commercially sold pastes can vary, so make sure you add it a little bit at a time to the stew and taste after each addition. It lasts a long time in the fridge or freezer. You can also use harissa in Moroccan recipes like harira, a soup of lentils and pasta, and these yummy vegan harissa meatballs.
Use veggies like eggplants, green beans, cauliflower, sweet potato and winter squash.
Garnish the Moroccan chickpea stew with wedges of lemon or lime. Serve with bread or with rice, couscous or quinoa.
Store the chickpea stew up to four days in the fridge. Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw and reheat in a saucepan before serving.
Recipe first posted on Sept. 21, 2008. Updated and re-published on Aug. 20, 2025.
Thomas says
At what point do you add the chickpeas?
Vaishali says
Step 2!
marja says
Thanks for this recipe. I have now made it several times and making it again at this moment. Yum.
Vaishali says
Yay! So happy to hear.
Stephanie Marder says
I made the stew and it took more than an hour to prepare the ingredients. Cooking was quick and I am hoping that resting a day will make the liquid a little thicker and the flavors meld. Freezing half for later. Where else can I use the harissa? Thanks so much. Looking forward to more new recipes.
Tom says
Can you please email or share the original recipe?
Vaishali says
So happy you enjoyed the stew. Prep depends on your knife skills, but they will get better with time. I have a bunch of recipes with harissa, linked in the post above. You can also search for "harissa" in the search bar for more ideas.
Melissa says
This sounds wonderful! I don't have any chickpeas on hand, but I've got a back of 15-bean mix. I'm wondering if that might be a decent substitute, or if the beans will get too mushy?
Just made your African Peanut Stew last night - it was amazing. I'm surprised there is any left (only cooking for 2!)
Thanks for sharing your creations.
Vaishali says
It could work quite well. Let me know if you try!
Pat Cleminson says
Dear Vaishali,
I am new to your e-mails and am wondering just how spicy these dishes are. For health reasons I am unable to eat very hot spicy food. This Moroccan dish sounds so good I really want to try it but am a little scared I will not be able to eat it. Please help.
Vaishali Honawar says
Hi Pat, you can totally control the level of spice in this -- just add less of the Harissa or use smoked paprika blended with some garlic and olive oil instead.
Miru says
Both dish and Freddie look awesome. Please what breed is Freddie?... a few weeks ago I rescued an old chap who looks like his twin brother 🙂
Vaishali Honawar says
Hi Miru, Freddie was (he passed on in 2011) probably a poodle terrier mix. Your old chap must be really adorable if he's anything like my lovely Freddie.
Sally Jones says
Hi Vaishali,
I am new for about three + months and absolutely love your food and your blog. I studied in India and miss the food. You make it so easy and simply delsih!
Thank You!
Vaishali says
Hi Sally, thanks for your lovely message, and so nice to meet a fellow Indophile. Hope you will try and enjoy the recipes! 🙂 hugs.
Vaishali says
Mark, you stir in the Harissa paste into the stew at the very end. Good luck!
Mark says
Hi there. I wasn't sure if the Harissa goes in the stew or it's a dish on the side? The photo looks delicious!
Mark
A Can-Baje in BIM says
Hi Vaishali,
I made this recipe on Sunday, and since I'm in Barbados I alternated a couple things (pumpkin for zucchini, 1 potato for 1 sweet potato, and red chilis for scotch bonnet peppers). It was simple, delicious and AMAZING! The harrisa is the perfect addition, and my family also loved it. Can't wait to get more of your recipes via email!
Vaishali says
So great to hear that your family loved it. Thanks for letting me know!
Vaishali says
Shailly, yes, I mean the dry red chillies. Feel free to write if you have other questions.
Shailly says
Hi Vaishali,
Can u tell me which red chillies are you mentioning? Can i use the red dry cillies?