There are some recipes that I just keep coming back to every season and this is certainly one of them. It comes from one of my most used cookbooks “at home in the whole food kitchen” by vegetarian chef Amy Chaplin. She lays this cookbook out so beautifully from a stunning breakdown of pantry essentials to dozens of DIY spice mixes and nut milks and nutrition packed recipes for every season.
This stew is simple to make and can be made even simpler by buying pre-cut butternut squash that way the only prep is chopping carrots, onions and garlic. I usually try to soak and cook my own beans when I can but I sometimes use canned chickpeas for this recipe. Let’s be real, moms with babies and toddlers use canned beans. When buying canned food, make sure you look for BPA-free lining. Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a chemical used in the lining of cans which can leach into the food. It disrupts hormones and is linked to infertility and hormonal cancers like breast and prostate among other serious disorders. Exposure is especially dangerous for pregnant women and children. Also when buying canned beans in particular, I like to buy cans containing seaweed which can assist in disabling the phytic acid. Phytic acid is naturally occurring in beans (as well as grains, seeds and nuts) and can interfere with absorption of nutrients. It is also best to buy canned food with no salt added to avoid unnecessary and unhealthful sodium consumption.
Amy serves this stew with quinoa pilaf but I serve it with plain cooked quinoa to save time. She also provides a recipe for homemade harissa but I usually buy this one. Of course harissa made from scratch will taste better but my goal here is to post easy recipes.
moroccan chickpea stew
recipe from “at home in the whole food kitchen” by amy chaplin
serves 6
ingredients
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (about 6 cups)
extra virgin first cold pressed olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
2 yellow onions, diced
8 garlic gloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley stems
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
3 medium carrots, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 cup of chickpea cooking liquid or water if using canned chickpeas
1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes (BPA-free can)
1 dry cup of chickpeas, soaked overnight, strained and cooked (or two 15-ounce cans, strained, BPA-free can)
4 teaspoons harissa (I like this one)
1/2 cup chopped parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
1 ½ cups dry quinoa, cooked like rice with 3 cups of water
directions
preheat oven to 400⁰F. line baking sheet with parchment paper and butternut squash. lightly drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. roast for 30 minutes, then stir and continue roasting for another 10-15 minutes or until cooked through. remove from oven and set aside.
warm 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil in large pot over medium heat. add onions, and sauté for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent. stir in garlic and cook 3 more minutes. add parsley stems, cumin, paprika and ½ teaspoon of salt. cook for 1-2 minutes. stir in carrots and 1 cup of chickpea cooking liquid (or water), and bring to boil. cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 more minutes. stir in chickpeas, tomatoes with liquid, harissa, chopped parsley leaves, and roasted squash. simmer uncovered for another few minutes to allow flavors to meld. season to taste and serve warm with quinoa.
