Moroccan-Style Instant Pot Chickpea Stew

Instant Pot chickpea stew in brown bowl.

Moroccan-Style Instant Pot Chickpea Stew

This stew has an irresistible spice blend that is bold and savory. This plant-based stew is also slightly sweet and mildly spicy.

Course Soup

Cuisine Vegan

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Servings

Calories 209kcal

Author Gary White

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup yellow onions diced
2 ½ tsp. sea salt divided
½ tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. garlic minced
½ cup celery diced
1 cup carrots diced
1 cup fennel large diced
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground turmeric
¼ tsp. ground coriander
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
6 cups vegetable broth
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
¼ cup maple syrup
2 cups sweet potatoes peeled, large diced
30 oz. canned chickpeas drained, rinsed

Instructions

Using sauté setting - Add oil, onions, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper to pot. Cook for at least 5 minutes (10 minutes is better for slightly caramelized onions), stirring frequently.
Add garlic and continue cooking and mixing for about 1 more minute.
Add celery, carrots, fennel, all the spices (cumin, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes), and give it all a really good mix. The goal here is to try and coat each vegetable with spice and allow the spices to toast slightly to wake them up.
Finally, add remaining ingredients (broth, lemon juice, maple syrup, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and the remaining salt) and mix one last time. Lock the lid and cook for 5 minutes at high pressure. Once cook time is complete, quick-release pressure.

Notes

Expert Tips

We all love the convenience that comes from pressure cooking, but taking a few minutes to caramelize the onions will bring out their natural sweetness and elevate the stew's flavor.
Dried spices spend a lot of time in jars. Taking a minute to toast the spices brings their flavor back to life.

FAQs

Can I just dump all the ingredients and start cooking? Yes, however you will not get the same flavor as going through the first few steps.

Can I use dried chickpeas? I have made this with 1 pound of dried chickpeas with a few adjustments. You definitely need to soak the chickpeas beforehand. Call me crazy, but I soak them for a full 24 hours - they are a stubborn bean. I soak them for so long so that they will cook more quickly with the other ingredients. 1 pound of chickpeas is roughly equivalent to 4 cans, so you will also want to double all the other ingredients (other than the broth - use just enough broth to make sure everything is submerged) to make a double batch in an 8qt. cooker. Cook for 5 minutes at high pressure with 25 minutes of natural release.

Can I make a double batch? If using an 8qt. Instant Pot, absolutely! However, in a 6qt. it would be a bit too full.

Nutrition