This fast and easy Moroccan Chickpea and Lemon Couscous Soup recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight meal. Additionally, this veggie soup is nowhere near bland and boring!
Spiced with a blend of exotic flavors, you’ll be looking forward to seconds! Souper Sunday returns with this Moroccan Chickpea and Couscous Soup! A one pot meal full of zesty and sweet moroccan spices, hearty couscous and a chickpea protein boost.
About the Recipe
While perusing the pages of Lick Your Plate, I came across this recipe for Moroccan Chickpea and Lemon Couscous Soup. It sounded delicious and, like most nights, I was in a bit of a time crunch. Sure enough, the soup was finished and on the table in just over half an hour. It also tastes great!
Flavorful vegetarian soup topped with lemony couscous and garnished with fresh mint.
Ingredients for Moroccan-Spiced Vegetable Soup with Couscous
Yes, this recipe contains a long list of ingredients, but be sure to check out my tip to see how to simplify things!
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- Ginger: Fresh, grated ginger is best here.
- Spices: This is where the ingredient list gets a little long, but this spice blend is what gives this soup its complex flavor. You'll need: paprika, ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes.
- Artichoke hearts.
- Sea salt.
- Couscous, quinoa or rice.
The blend of spices in this hearty Moroccan Vegetable Soup with Couscous are some of the very spices you might use for holiday baking: cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg, to name a few. While that may sound strange in a savory dish, they harmonize perfectly with the salty olives, hearty chickpeas and tender artichoke hearts that give this soup some heft.
Want to try a variation on this Moroccan soup? Use cooked lentils or your favorite bean instead of chickpeas.
As written in the book, the soup itself does not contain any salt. I added a teaspoon at the end, but feel free to leave it out if you’re watching your sodium intake. This recipe can easily be made vegan and dairy free with a simple substitution, noted below.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a medium pot over medium-high heat.
- Add onions and saute until they are softened, about 4-5 minutes.Add grated ginger, garlic and all spices, stirring to coat.
- Cook for about a minute.Stir in chickpeas, tomatoes, artichokes and olives, scraping the bottom of the pan to removed brown bits.
- Slowly pour in vegetable broth; stir to combine.Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.
- Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.Meanwhile, make couscous, rice or quinoa according to package directions.
In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, salt, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, turmeric and cayenne pepper, cooking for 1-2 minutes. Add white wine and reduce until almost completely evaporated. Add carrots and chickpeas, stirring to combine with spices. Add vegetable broth and diced tomatoes and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
While the soup simmers, prepare the couscous. In a small saucepan, bring water, lemon juice and salt to a boil over medium high heat. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in couscous and lemon zest. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover the couscous and fluff using a fork.
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Once soup finishes simmering, remove from heat. Using a hand held immersion blender, lightly puree soup, leaving it slightly chunky. Stir in butter, lemon juice and lemon zest. Top each bowl of soup with a mound of lemon couscous and sprinkle with fresh mint.
Tips and Variations
Keep it vegetarian by leaving this recipe as-is, or add in some roasted or rotisserie chicken breast for extra protein.
Tip: You can stir in cooked, diced chicken breast or shredded store-bought rotisserie chicken if you want to add a protein.
Like I said, I love prepping soup on the weekend so I have healthy lunches and dinners all week long. The ultimate recipe for anyone who is busy but still wants to eat healthy.
Before we dive into the recipe, I wanted to make sure we’re all on the same page about couscous! Couscous is a tiny pasta made of wheat or barley. It’s a good source of plant based protein and is a an easy ingredient to swap for the place of other grains in many recipes.
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You can cook this soup in full and then store in air-tight containers in the refrigerator if you’ll be eating within five days. If you don’t think you’ll get through all of the soup in five days, you can also freeze it! After cooking, place in the container you plan to freeze it in but let it cool first in the refrigerator.
Can Moroccan Vegetable Soup be made ahead?
Yes! In fact, I think it tastes even better a day or two after making it when the flavors have been allowed to marry. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Is this recipe authentically Moroccan?
No, this recipe is a Moroccan-inspired soup that I adapted from a magazine many years ago! While it contains some traditional Moroccan spices and flavors, I can't say that it's authentically Moroccan. Check out Taste of Maroc for authentic Moroccan soup recipes!
Moroccan Couscous stew | Couscous with Seven Vegetable -Vegan Edition
Moroccan Meatball and Couscous Soup
This Moroccan Meatball and Couscous Soup is the seventh recipe in my Fall Soup Series! It's loaded with flavorful meatballs and couscous. It's a little spicy and very herbaceous. I used fresh parsley and fresh mint to serve, but add whatever fresh herbs you enjoy!
Instructions:
- Combine all seasonings in a bowl.
- Combine ground beef, harissa paste, seasoning mixture, fresh parsley, and 1/4 of a yellow onion.
- Form into meatballs.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat.
- Add 3/4 of a yellow onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes.
- Pour in chicken broth and add baked meatballs.
- Bring to a boil and add pearl couscous.
- Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the couscous is cooked.
- Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime.
This Moroccan Meatball and Couscous Soup is a delightful dish with its flavorful meatballs, aromatic spices, and herbaceous finish. This recipe is a perfect comfort meal on a chilly day or easy to whip up a big batch of to serve your family.
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tags: #Moroccan
