This Vegetarian Instant Pot Moroccan Stew recipe is so good that you won’t miss the meat! The stew has a dynamite combination of ingredients that gives it a rich, complex flavor that you’re going to love. Serve with a lemon and herb couscous, or quinoa.
Table of Contents
Introduction
This Instant Pot Moroccan Stew recipe is delicious, flavorful and so beautiful. The colors you see in the photos are real! The only thing you need to do to make this a vegan stew recipe is to omit the cream.
You’ll find that the mmmmm’s and ahhhhh’s will keep on coming when you serve this to your family or guests. And it’s so healthy that there’s no guilt in going back for seconds.
My family likes meat – chicken, beef, pork – and they can be pretty picky about vegetarian recipes. So when I say they love this veggie stew recipe, that means this truly is an extra-special recipe!
This Instant Pot vegetable stew recipe has authentic ingredients, except for cream. I’ve taken the liberty of adding cream because I love the flavor it imparts to this recipe.
Here are some other some of my best vegetarian Instant Pot recipes:
– Instant Pot Ratatouille
– Instant Pot Aloo Gobi (Indian Spiced Cauliflower)
– Instant Pot Rigatoni Bolognese
– Instant Pot Middle Eastern Style Green Beans
– Instant Pot Vegetarian Moroccan Stew
– Instant Pot Ethiopian Lentil Stew
Tips and Substitutions
Cream
An authentic Moroccan stew recipe wouldn’t have cream. Cream is my own twist to this recipe because I really like the creaminess and flavor it adds to the recipe. However, this recipe tastes really good even without it. Make it vegan and healthier by omitting the cream.
Chickpeas
I prefer to use homemade Instant Pot chickpeas rather than canned chickpeas. Check out my recipe for cooking chickpeas at home. You can pressure cook the chickpeas in the morning and leave them in the Instant Pot until you’re ready to use them. Just drain and add them to the recipe! But if you prefer to use canned chickpeas, that’s perfectly okay!
Preserved Lemons
Preserved lemons are one of my favorite ingredients in this recipe. Yes, you can use lemon juice (approximately 2 Tbsp, or to taste) as a substitute, but the preserved lemons add an extra-concentrated jolt of citrus flavor.
Make your own using this preserved lemon recipe, or do what I do and buy a jar. They’re available at Middle Eastern or international grocers or purchase preserved lemons on Amazon.
Saffron
Saffron is a delightful ingredient that adds another dimension to this vegetable stew recipe. Saffron is an expensive ingredient, but a little goes a long way. If you don’t want to buy it, just omit it.
Harissa
If you’ve never tried harissa and you like spicy food, this is the recipe to try it out in.
Add the harissa after the vegetable stew is finished cooking. A little goes a long way, so add a teaspoon at a time, and taste as you go.
I find harissa at my local grocery store, in the ethnic foods section.
Adding Meat
If you’re a meat-lover, you can change up the recipe by sauteing about 1 cup spicy sausage, sliced thinly into half-moons, before sauteing the onions. Chicken (cut into about 2-inch wide pieces) would also work for this recipe. Pressure cooking time stays the same.
You can also use chicken broth in place of vegetable broth.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
- Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
Instant Pot Moroccan Stew Recipe – Ingredients
- Chickpeas
- Butternut squash
- Broth
- Tomatoes
- Carrots
- Onions
- Cilantro
- Cream
- Preserved lemon
- Cayenne
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic
- Saffron
- Coriander
- Turmeric
- Cumin
- Ginger
- Oil
How to Make Vegetarian Moroccan Stew in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Turn on Saute Mode
- Saute onion, garlic and ginger
- Saute spices and deglaze
- Pressure cook
- Quick-release pressure
- Add chickpeas, saffron and cream
How to Turn on Saute Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Saute Onion, Garlic and Ginger
- Once the Instant Pot has pre-heated, add oil and allow it to heat up.
- Stir in onions, and saute till soft, about 1 minute.
- Stir in garlic and ginger.
Saute Spices and Deglaze
- Add in salt, black pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper.
- Stir until spices are fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds. *
- Deglaze with a couple of tablespoons of broth. Stir to remove any brown bits. There should be nothing stuck to the bottom of the inner pot.
* If the Instant Pot becomes too hot and the ingredients are burning, turn it off to cool it down and turn back on once cooled. You don’t want to burn the spices! If you need to, add a tablespoon of broth to deglaze the inner pot if you find that the ingredients are browning too quickly.
- Once deglazed, stir in remaining broth.
- Add butternut squash, carrots, and preserved lemons. Stir to combine.
- Add tomatoes, but don’t stir. Just push down with a spatula to immerse in the broth.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 6 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
- Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until the display reads ‘6‘ (6 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 6 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 6 minutes (00:06).
- Press Start.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display L0:00 or 00 00 and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the DUO
- Move the steam release handle to Venting. Steam will come out of the steam release handle.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the ULTRA
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and steam begins to come out of the Steam Release Valve.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
[Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
Add Chickpeas, Saffron and Cream
- Stir in chickpeas, saffron, and cream (omit for vegan version).
- Cook on Saute mode until heated through.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro.
- Serve the Moroccan vegetarian stew with couscous, quinoa, or crusty French bread.
Vegetarian Instant Pot Moroccan Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 Tbsp garlic
- 1 Tbsp ginger
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 4 cups butternut squash cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 cup carrots cut into 1-inch thick rounds
- 1 preserved lemon chopped
- 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 2 cups chickpeas (garbanzo beans) cooked, or 1 (16 oz.) can garbanzo beans
- pinch saffron
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (omit for vegan)
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Select the Saute function and pre-heat the Instant Pot.
- Add oil to the pre-heated inner pot of Instant Pot and allow it to heat up.
- Stir in onions, and saute till soft, about 1 minute.
- Stir in garlic and ginger. Press Cancel. The spices in the next step will cook in residual heat.
- Add salt, black pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper, stirring until fragrant about 15 to 30 seconds. *
- Deglaze with a couple of tablespoons of broth. Stir to remove any brown bits. There should be nothing stuck to the bottom of the inner pot.
- Once deglazed, stir in remaining broth.
- Add butternut squash, carrots, and preserved lemons. Stir to combine.
- Add tomatoes, but don’t stir; push down with a spatula to immerse in the broth.
- Close the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes.
- Do a Quick Release (QR) of pressure. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot lid.
- Stir in chickpeas, saffron, and cream (if using); heat through on Saute mode.
- Garnish with cilantro.
- Serve with couscous or crunchy bread.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. minced garlic, cut vegetables, etc.
- For more spiciness, stir in some harissa, to taste, at the end.
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips.
Nutrition
Thank you for visiting Paint the Kitchen Red. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use any content without prior written permission. If you’ve made this recipe and would like to share it with your friends, please link back to this recipe. Thank you!
I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
If you loved this recipe, please give it a five ⭐ rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!
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Amy
Soooo good!
Michelle
I made this for my weekly meal prep and it was amazing! I added spinach and omitted the dairy and saffron. I just used an ordinary lemon- de-seeded and chopped and you can really taste the citrus which is a nice balance to the heat from the cayenne and cumin. I will definitely make this again and again!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you, Michelle, for sharing your modifications. I love this soup especially at this time of year!
Marielli
I doubled the recipe, and because I made it for the kids, I added dates and raisins to give it a sweeter taste and to neutralize a little bit of the spiciness. They loved it.
Paint the Kitchen Red
I love dates! I bet that added a great kid-friendly flavor. Thanks for commenting, Marielli!
Tobasco7
I substituted yogurt for the cream, and it turned out great! Fab recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red
That’s a great idea to reduce calories – thanks for sharing that!
Tracy
Easy to make! Enjoyed by the entire family.
Paint the Kitchen Red
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Tracy! Thanks for your comment.
@pikolint
Thank you for sharing this delicious and easy recipe! The adults in our household enjoyed it very much, although it didn’t appeal to our children. That meant more servings for the adults! Definitely a repeat for the future.
Paint the Kitchen Red
I’m so glad to hear it – thanks so much for your comment. Now we need to work on the kids, lol!
Gwen
Absolutely delicious!!! I added the heavy cream.
Paint the Kitchen Red
I’m so glad you liked it, Gwen! I love this recipe too 🙂
Leslie
This recipe was recommended by my friend Albert, who posted a comment above. I have made it multiple times now – it’s our favorite Instantpot recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Leslie, that’s the kind of comment I love to get – when a recipe gets passed on word-of-mouth! Thank you so much 🙂
Christopher
These instructions are amazing, The layout, pictures are great. Not only do you have recipe but detailed instructions for the Instant Pot. Thank you for putting the time in to this
Paint the Kitchen Red
Christoper, thank you for the comment and I’m always happy to hear that people appreciate my level of detail!
Saaz
This was awesome. I am not a vegetarian but I loved the dish. Cut down on the cayenne if you don’t want it spicy.
Saaz
Just finished making it. Tast awesome, just a tad hot. I will add more creams
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks, Saaz! Did you use harissa – it can be pretty spicy 🙂 If you didn’t, the heat must have come from the cayenne. Just reduce it next time.
Jen
Delicious and simple! I added sliced chicken thighs for my family, but would have been just as happy with a vegetarian dish. Skipped the cream. Love the bright flavors – thanks for a great recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Jen, thank you for your comment and rating! I love this recipe and am so happy that you loved it too! Yup, you definitely don’t have to do the cream – it’s super even without it.
Melisa
Would coconut milk work in place of the cream?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Melisa – I think that would taste great. Probably not traditional (neither is the cream), but it’s the taste that matters, right? Let me know if you try it. I love love this recipe.
Albert Chin
Received an Instant Pot for Christmas and this was the first recipe I made. Amazing flavor! Made it again the following day.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Albert, I feel this recipe is a hidden gem, thus far! For whatever reason it’s not been tried by a lot of people – I hope your comment helps that situation 🙂 I love this recipe so much – you made my day!
Joan sicherman
Excellent! Easy and so good!
Paint the Kitchen Red
I glad to hear you liked it, Joan. I love this recipe and am hoping more people try it out because I know they’re going to love it!
Billy
This stew looks delicious! I’m definitely making this the next time I head to the store! Thank you so much for sharing.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you – hope you love it!
Hitee
I made this last night and absolutely loved it. One of the easiest recipes ever and so delicious.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you Hitee! I love this recipe so much – especially because it’s so unexpectedly good!
Heather Willard
Silly Question. I’ve never cooked with preserved lemons. After the dish is through cooking, do you remove the lemons? Or cut them up or just eat them as is?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Heather, I remove the seeds and chop the lemons into tiny bits. I’m sure you could cut the lemon in half and remove it after cooking too. And it’s not a silly question 🙂
Michelle
My familty really enjoyed the flavors, never missed the meat. Thanks
Paint the Kitchen Red
I’m so glad to hear that – same with mine, which is very unusual, lol!
Michelle
I fed an international group this evening – only one of six a vegetarian. It was a TOTAL success. Don’t hesitate- make this dish. It is amazing.