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The Ultimate Moroccan-Inspired Chicken and Summer Vegetable Stew

A spoonful of the finished Chicken and Vegetable Stew with couscous and yogurt.

A fragrant, Moroccan-inspired one-pot meal, this summer stew features bite-sized chicken thighs simmered with a medley of vegetables like carrots, onion, zucchini, and tomatoes. The broth is infused with warm spices including cumin, paprika, turmeric, and a cinnamon stick, and sweetened with golden raisins. The hearty stew is served over a bed of fluffy, buttery couscous and finished with a fresh, crunchy topping of chopped herbs, almonds, pistachios, and more raisins, with harissa and yogurt on the side.

Ingredients

Scale
  • For the Chicken Stew:
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2 large rainbow carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 6 wedges, root end kept intact
  • 1 cinnamon stick, snapped in half
  • 1/3 cup golden raisins
  • 1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
  • One 15 1/2-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 12 ounces assorted color cherry tomatoes
  • 1 large zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • For the Couscous:
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups couscous
  • For the Topping:
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/4 cup salted shelled pistachios, crushed
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • Harissa and plain yogurt, for serving

Instructions

  1. Start the Stew: In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine the smashed garlic, carrots, onion wedges, cinnamon stick halves, 1/3 cup raisins, ginger, cumin, paprika, sugar, turmeric, 1 tablespoon of salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
  2. Cover the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the carrots begin to soften.
  3. Add the chicken, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, and zucchini to the pot and stir to combine. Return the stew to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce the heat again, and simmer for about 15 more minutes, until the stew is fragrant and the vegetables are tender.
  4. Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks from the finished stew.
  5. Cook the Couscous: While the stew simmers, bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan with the butter and salt.
  6. Stir in the couscous, then remove the saucepan from the heat, cover it, and let it stand for about 5 minutes, until the water has been absorbed. Fluff the couscous with a fork and keep it warm.
  7. Prepare the Topping: In a medium bowl, combine the chopped cilantro, parsley, sliced almonds, crushed pistachios, and 1/4 cup of raisins.
  8. Serve: Divide the warm couscous among serving bowls. Ladle the chicken stew over the top and sprinkle generously with the herb and nut topping. Serve with harissa and yogurt on the side.

Notes

  • This is a one-pot meal (for the stew), making for easier cleanup.
  • Keeping the root end of the onion wedges intact helps them hold their shape during cooking.
  • If the vegetables in the stew become tender before the liquid has thickened, you can temporarily remove them while you reduce the sauce.
  • The couscous is cooked using the simple absorption method off the heat.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookupjoy.com/chicken-and-vegetable-stew/