Soups
Chickpea & Apricot Stew with Couscous
Chickpeas, carrots, and dried apricots simmer in a cumin-and-cinnamon tomato stew, spooned over fluffy couscous with a little parsley.
Inspired by Moroccan-inspired sweet-savory tagine flavors
Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Serves
4 servings
Difficulty
Easy
Pantry match
Uses the current servings and temporary recipe changes.
Missing 15 ingredients
- • 1 tablespoon olive oil
- • 1 onion, diced
- • 2 carrots, sliced into half-moons
- • 2 garlic cloves, minced
- • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- • 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces), no salt added
- • 2 cans chickpeas (15 ounces each), drained and rinsed
- • 1/2 cup dried apricots, quartered
- • 1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- • 1 cup dry couscous
- • 1 cup boiling water, for couscous
- • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
View ingredient-by-ingredient match
- 1 tablespoon olive oilMissing
- 1 onion, dicedMissing
- 2 carrots, sliced into half-moonsMissing
- 2 garlic cloves, mincedMissing
- 1 teaspoon ground cuminMissing
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamonMissing
- 1/2 teaspoon ground gingerMissing
- 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces), no salt addedMissing
- 2 cans chickpeas (15 ounces each), drained and rinsedMissing
- 1/2 cup dried apricots, quarteredMissing
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable brothMissing
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher saltMissing
- 1 cup dry couscousMissing
- 1 cup boiling water, for couscousMissing
- 1/4 cup chopped parsleyMissing
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Method
Recipe notes
A normal heavy saucepan works for these tagine-inspired flavors; no specialized clay pot is required. Apricots provide measured sweetness without a sugary glaze. The couscous is a separate quick grain component, and the stew should retain enough liquid to moisten it.
Planning, storage, and serving
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate stew and couscous separately in shallow covered containers within two hours and use within 3–4 days. Reheat until hot throughout, adding water to the chickpeas if the sauce thickens.
Make-ahead tips
Cook the chickpea-apricot stew a day ahead so the spices can settle into the broth. Prepare couscous at serving time; the five-minute covered rest fits easily into reheating.
What to serve with it
- - Lemon-dressed cucumber
- - Roasted zucchini
- - A crisp green salad
Equipment needed
- - Heavy saucepan with lid
- - Heatproof couscous bowl
- - Fork and measuring jug
Difficulty explained
Canned chickpeas remove the long bean-cooking step, and a gentle vegetable simmer runs alongside the almost hands-off couscous.
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Nutrition facts
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Alternatives
Apply a reviewed substitution to this temporary working copy. The published recipe stays unchanged.
Browse reviewed options
- - Use unsweetened dried prunes in place of apricots for a deeper flavor, chopping them into similarly small pieces.
- - Replace couscous with separately cooked millet when avoiding wheat, checking broth and other ingredient labels too.
- - Add diced zucchini for the final ten minutes of simmering when you want another vegetable without changing the spice base.
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Pitfalls to Watch Out For
- Adding too much dried fruit makes the stew dessert-like; keep to the measured half cup across four servings.
- Under-cooked carrot chunks stay hard while the chickpeas soften; slice carrots into small even half-moons.
- Drying the stew down to a paste leaves nothing to moisten the couscous; retain a spoonable tomato broth.
Nutrition Context
- Chickpeas and couscous make this a substantial plant-based meal, with carrots and dried apricots contributing texture and fiber.
- The estimate includes both grain and stew. Rinsing chickpeas and choosing low-sodium broth limits label-dependent sodium without claiming a medical diet.
FAQ
Do I need a tagine pot?
No. This recipe is written for a heavy saucepan and uses tagine-inspired seasoning rather than specialized cookware.
Can I use fresh apricots?
Fresh fruit softens much faster and is less concentrated. The measured dried apricots give the intended texture and sweetness.
Is couscous wheat?
Standard couscous is made from wheat. Use separately cooked millet or another suitable grain if avoiding gluten.
Can the stew be frozen?
Yes. Freeze without couscous for up to two months and thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Should it taste strongly of cinnamon?
No. The half teaspoon should sit behind the cumin and tomato, giving warmth rather than a sweet bakery flavor.
What sides pair best with this dish?
Good pairings include Lemon-dressed cucumber; Roasted zucchini; A crisp green salad. Choose one or two based on how substantial you want the meal to be.