Vegan Moroccan Stew is a delicious, nutritious, soup made with chickpeas in the Instant Pot.  This stew has good protein and fiber thanks to the chickpeas and the spinach, along with loads of vitamins and minerals.  This delicious, well-balanced soup even tastes better the next day.

Let’s face it, the cook once, eat for days recipes are the best right now. 

One of the reasons I love this stew so much is that it reminds me of a Persian stew we grew up eating called Ab Ghousht but without the meat.  The spices and ingredients are similar.  Cinnamon is used in both Persian and Moroccan savory foods.  It adds a sweet, comforting taste to soups and stews.  Not being a big meat eater myself, I think I like this Moroccan stew even better than the one I grew up eating.

Loaded with fresh and hearty ingredients, you probably have most of what’s needed in the pantry and fridge.  I use canned chickpeas – a staple in our house for making hummus.  Adding fresh baby spinach to this soup at the end adds not only color and aesthetic appeal it adds extra protein and vitamins.

Stew Ingredients

• olive oil
• onion
• Moroccan spices – cinnamon, paprika, cumin
• garlic
• diced tomatoes
• vegetable broth
• chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• carrots
• potatoes
• fresh baby spinach leaves

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, not to worry – this is a versatile recipe that is easily converted to both stovetop and Crockpot.  Lastly, if you have meat eaters it’s easy to add meat to this recipe.  Simply slice 2 breasts of chicken and add it to the soup ingredients before cooking.

Variations to Instant pot recipe:

• 15 minutes in an Instant pot is equivalent to about 2 to 3 hours in a slow-cooker or Crockpot
• Stovetop cooking would take about 45 minutes on medium-low, stirring often, then reduce to a simmer for about 15 more minutes

If you love this soup, try another one of our favorite nutritious soups on the blog, Crockpot Lentil or Khoresh Gheymeh (Persian Yellow Split Pea Soup). For more instant pot inspiration, try another comforting savory soup is Persian Instant Pot Cream of Barley Soup.

Yield: 6

Vegan Moroccan Stew

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Vegan Moroccan Stew is a delicious, nutritious, soup made with chickpeas in the Instant Pot.  This stew has good protein and fiber thanks to the chickpeas and the spinach, along with loads of vitamins and minerals.  This delicious, well-balanced soup even tastes better the next day.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium-sized yellow or sweet onion, chopped about 1/4 inch
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 6 cloves of garlic or 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 4 cups (32 ounces) of vegetable broth
• 2 14-ounce cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• 2 large carrots, 1 cup chopped to about 1/4 inch
• 3 baby creamer potatoes, 1 cup chopped to about 1/4 inch
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (more to taste after cooking)
• 1 Tablespoon ketchup or 1 Tablespoon sugar (optional)
• 8 ounces or 1 cup of fresh baby spinach leaves

Instructions

1. Turn on Instant Pot (saute mode) and add oil
2. Saute chopped onion until transulcent, about 5 minutes from when the oil is hot
3. Add minced garlic, stir and saute in oil for another minute or two
4. Add the spices (cinnamon, paprika, and cumin) to oil/onion/garlic mix
5. Add can of tomatoes
6. Add broth
7. Drain and rinse chickpeas and add to Instant Pot
8. Add the chopped carrots and potatoes
9. Stir in salt, pepper, and ketchup/sugar (optional)
10. Seal the Instant pot with the lid and set to the sealing position
11. Cancel the saute mode and set to manual (pressure cook) up to 12 minutes
12. Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release after the allotted cooking time for about 15 minutes
13. Turn the Instant pot off
14. Manually release any remaining pressure by moving the lever to quick release position until the indicator pin drops down (means it's safe to open the lid)
15. Open the lid away from your face
16. Stir, taste, and adjust salt (add more if needed)
17. Add baby spinach leaves and stir for a few minutes for a quick wilting

Notes

If you like a more blended soup or stew, use a potato masher or an immersion blender to mash to desired thickness.

It generally takes a few minutes for an Instant pot to reach the right pressure for cooking. Setting the manual timer to 12 minutes equates to about 7 minutes of pressurized cooking.