Vegetarian Instant Pot Moroccan Stew

4.97 from 27 votes

This Vegetarian Instant Pot Moroccan Stew is so delicious that you won’t miss the meat! The stew has a dynamite combination of ingredients that gives it a rich, complex flavor profile that you’re going to love. Serve with a lemon and herb couscous, or quinoa.

Servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion chopped
1 tablespoon garlic
1 tablespoon ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups vegetable broth
4 cups butternut squash cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
1 cup carrots cut into 1-inch thick rounds
1 preserved lemon chopped
14.5 oz. diced tomatoes (1 can) - 411 grams
2 cups chickpeas (garbanzo beans) cooked, or 1 can (16 oz or 454 grams)
pinch saffron
¼ cup heavy cream (omit for vegan)
½ cup cilantro chopped

Instructions

Instant Pot

Select the Sauté function and pre-heat the Instant Pot.
Add 2 tablespoon olive oil to the pre-heated inner pot of Instant Pot and allow it to heat up.
Stir in 1 cup onion and sauté until soft, about 1 minute.
Stir in 1 tablespoon garlic and 1 tablespoon ginger. Press Cancel. The spices in the next step will cook in residual heat.
Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, stirring until fragrant about 15 to 30 seconds. [See Note 1]
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 4 cups butternut squash, 1 cup carrots, and 1 preserved lemon. Stir to combine.
Add 14.5 oz. diced 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 2 cups chickpeas, pinch saffron, and ¼ cup heavy cream (if using); heat through on Sauté mode.
Garnish with ½ cup cilantro.
Serve with couscous or crunchy bread.

Stovetop

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Stir in onions, and sauté until soft, about 1 minute.
Stir in garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add salt, black pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper, stirring until fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds.
Add the broth and stir to scrape up any brown bits.
Stir in butternut squash, carrots, tomatoes, chickpeas, and preserved lemons.
Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat, and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Stir in saffron and cream and heat through.[See Note 2]
Garnish with cilantro.

Video

Notes

Note 1: 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.

Note 2: For more spiciness, stir in some harissa, to taste, at the end.

Nutrition