A hearty, spiced tomato-based chickpea stew studded with roasted sweet potato, carrots and peppers and brightened with lemon and cilantro. Served over fluffy couscous in portable jars for easy reheating and weekday lunches.
Weeknight Moroccan Chickpea Stew in a Jar
A cozy, spiced tomato stew studded with roasted sweet potato and peppers—served over fluffy couscous and packed into jars for easy reheating and weekday lunches.
Think of this as a portable, midweek comfort bowl. Roasting the sweet potatoes, carrots and bell pepper at high heat gives the vegetables those caramelized edges that cut through the tomato-rich sauce, while canned chickpeas add gentle, bean-y creaminess. Stow portions in jars for grab-and-go lunches or for a tidy batch-cook that reheats without fuss.
The flavor build is simple but layered: garlic, ground cumin and smoked paprika (plus coriander and a touch of cinnamon) bloom in oil, then tomato paste deepens the base before diced tomatoes, broth and a little harissa bring warmth. Finish each jar with a squeeze of lemon and a scattering of cilantro so the citrus lifts the earthy spices and brightens every spoonful.
Practical notes: roast the veggies at 425°F until caramelized (about 25–30 minutes), then simmer the stew while they finish. For best texture, cook couscous separately and either spoon stew over it when serving or layer couscous in the jar and top with stew if you want it to soak up the sauce. These keep well in the fridge for several days; reheat gently in the microwave (lid ajar) or on the stovetop.
Variations are easy—toss a few handfuls of spinach into the hot stew to wilt, swap couscous for rice or farro, or top individual bowls with toasted almonds or a dollop of yogurt for creaminess. It’s the kind of recipe that stretches a single tray of roasted veg into satisfying meals all week long.
Ingredients
How to Make Tray Moroccan Chickpea Stew Jars
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Peel (if desired) and cut the sweet potato into 3/4-inch cubes, slice the carrots into 1/2-inch rounds, core and chop the red bell pepper into 1-inch pieces, and cut the red onion into wedges.
- Toss the sweet potato, carrots, bell pepper, and onion with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper on a rimmed baking sheet so they are in a single layer, and roast until edges are caramelized and tender, 25–30 minutes, turning once halfway through.
- While the vegetables roast, heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and ground spices (cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, cinnamon); cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook 30 seconds more, then add the drained and rinsed chickpeas, diced tomatoes with their juices, vegetable broth, harissa, and the remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
- Bring the skillet to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the stew thickens and the chickpeas are heated through, 8–12 minutes.
- Fold the roasted vegetables into the chickpea stew, add the lemon juice and chopped cilantro, taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper or harissa if desired, and warm for 1–2 minutes to marry the flavors.
- Divide the cooked couscous evenly among four wide-mouth jars or meal-prep containers (about 1/2 cup cooked couscous per jar), spoon the chickpea-and-vegetable stew over the couscous (about 1 to 1 1/4 cups stew per jar), and let cool to room temperature.
- Seal jars and refrigerate for up to 4 days; reheat portions in the microwave (cover and heat 2–3 minutes) or transfer to a saucepan to warm. Garnish with extra cilantro or a dollop of yogurt when serving, if you like.
Recipe Card
Tray Moroccan Chickpea Stew Jars
A hearty, spiced tomato-based chickpea stew studded with roasted sweet potato, carrots and peppers and brightened with lemon and cilantro. Served over fluffy couscous in portable jars for easy reheating and weekday lunches.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Peel (if desired) and cut the sweet potato into 3/4-inch cubes, slice the carrots into 1/2-inch rounds, core and chop the red bell pepper into 1-inch pieces, and cut the red onion into wedges.
- Toss the sweet potato, carrots, bell pepper, and onion with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper on a rimmed baking sheet so they are in a single layer, and roast until edges are caramelized and tender, 25–30 minutes, turning once halfway through.
- While the vegetables roast, heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and ground spices (cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, cinnamon); cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook 30 seconds more, then add the drained and rinsed chickpeas, diced tomatoes with their juices, vegetable broth, harissa, and the remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
- Bring the skillet to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the stew thickens and the chickpeas are heated through, 8–12 minutes.
- Fold the roasted vegetables into the chickpea stew, add the lemon juice and chopped cilantro, taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper or harissa if desired, and warm for 1–2 minutes to marry the flavors.
- Divide the cooked couscous evenly among four wide-mouth jars or meal-prep containers (about 1/2 cup cooked couscous per jar), spoon the chickpea-and-vegetable stew over the couscous (about 1 to 1 1/4 cups stew per jar), and let cool to room temperature.
- Seal jars and refrigerate for up to 4 days; reheat portions in the microwave (cover and heat 2–3 minutes) or transfer to a saucepan to warm. Garnish with extra cilantro or a dollop of yogurt when serving, if you like.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 64
- Saturated Fat
- 1.3
- Sodium
- 520
- Fiber
- 14
- Unsaturated Fat
- 9.7
- Protein
- 14
- Fat
- 11
- Cholesterol
- 0
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 520
- Sugar
- 9