Make a Satisfying Chickpea and Lentil Stew with Moroccan Flair

Moroccan Chickpea and Lentil Stew

Looking for a hearty and flavorful vegetarian dish that's packed with plant-based protein? Look no further than this delicious and nutritious chickpea and lentil stew!

To make this recipe, you'll need a few simple ingredients, including dried chickpeas, green lentils, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and ground cinnamon. You'll also need some fresh vegetables, including celery, carrots, and a yellow onion, as well as some canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce for added bulk and flavor.

I just love using my SmartCanisters to store dried chickpeas and lentils and this recipe is a great example of how they can be used to create an incredible meal with minimal effort.

The PantryChic system is not just great for baking, but can also be used to create vibrant and delicious meals the whole family will love!

SmartCanister Lineup

This recipe is made easiest if you are using PantryChic SmartCanisters to store dried chickpeas, lentils, smoked paprika, cumin, ground cinnamon, salt, and pepper.

If you are not already storing all of these ingredients in their own SmartCanister, you can always use the PantryChic's scale function to manually add an ingredient.

Cook the Chickpeas Fast

The fastest way to prepare dried chickpeas is to use your PantryChic System to dispense the chickpeas into a pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil for just 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 1 hour.

Return the chickpeas to the heat and bring back up to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 90 minutes.

Add the Lentils

Use the PantryChic to dispense the lentils into a bowl (do not place a hot pot on the PantryChic scale) and then stir into the simmering chickpeas. Let simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

Start the Stew

In a large skillet, Dutch oven, or pot, sauté the celery, carrots, and onion in olive oil.

Place a bowl on the PantryChic scale and dispense the spices before stirring into the pot of vegetables. Once the spices have toasted a minute, stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and honey. 

Bring It Together

Drain the cooked chickpeas and lentils and add to the vegetables and spices before adding the fresh spinach, cooking just until the spinach has wilted. If the stew is too thick, adjust it to taste using cooking liquid from the chickpeas and lentils.

Recipe: Moroccan Chickpea and Lentil Stew

Active Prep Time: 20 mins ∙ Cook Time: 3 hours ∙ Serves: 4–6

SmartCanister Ingredients

1 cup (200g) dried chickpeas

3/4 cup (144g) green lentils

1 tablespoon (6g) ground cumin

1 tablespoon (7g) smoked paprika

1 teaspoon (6g) salt

1 teaspoon (2.8g) pepper

3/4 teaspoon (1.5g) ground cinnamon

Other Ingredients

2 tablespoons (28g) extra-virgin olive oil

3 stalks celery, sliced

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 yellow onion, diced

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with liquid

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon (21g) honey (may use brown sugar to keep things vegan)

6 cups (180g) fresh spinach

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Place a pot on the PantryChic scale and dispense chickpeas. Cover with water. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
2. Cover and remove from heat and let rest for 1 hour.
3. Return chickpeas to high heat, bring up to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 90 minutes.
4. In a bowl, dispense lentils, then stir into the pot with the chickpeas. Cover and let simmer for an additional 30 minutes, until both chickpeas and lentils are tender.
5. Add olive oil to a very large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in celery, carrots, and onion.
6. Meanwhile, place a bowl on the PantryChic scale and dispense the cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Stir into the vegetables and sauté for 1 minute.
7. Into the pot of seasoned vegetables, stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and honey. Bring to a simmer.
8. Reserve 1 cup of the chickpea and lentil cooking liquid, then drain. Stir the drained chickpeas and lentils into the pot of tomatoes. Bring back up to a simmer. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
9. Stir in fresh spinach and cook just until the spinach has wilted. Adjust the thickness of the stew, to taste, by adding the chickpea and lentil liquid a little bit at a time, just until your desired consistency.
10. Serve topped with chopped parsley, if desired.