This hearty vegetarian soup of chickpeas, kale, butternut squash and potatoes gets it’s exotic flair from the vibrant Moroccan spices of saffron, cumin and cinnamon and is so easy to make.
In This Post
Happy to the new, to the year, to you!
Let’s start off the new year exactly where we should, with a big, fat THANK YOU to all of you readers. Cheers to your eyeballs, graciously deep bows for your desires to peruse this blog, and high fives for making recipes that are featured here. I wouldn’t be here without you, and, why would I want to be? It would be mighty lonely around here if you weren’t in it here with me.
Whiz, bang, boom. 2014 seems to have come and gone in the wink of an eye. Or was it just that jolly old man in the red and white suit? Either way, 2015 is already shaping up to be fit for a king.
But wait? Who wants to be some old, rolly-polly bully who sloths about his castle draped in old furs while wielding turkey legs and brandishing silver goblets of the most expensive wine as servants attend to his every whim.
Maybe I’m painting too rosy a picture here because that actually doesn’t sound half bad.
But no! This year we’re going to keep things balanced. We’re going to rely on our instincts, on our guts, and make the most of every bite of fresh, ultra-flavorful food to nourish our bellies and our souls.
Let’s Simply Start Small
This year I will be sharing a variety of different ingredients, recipes, ideas and strategies to help me, and you, make the small changes that add up to big differences. Or at least make you feel like you’re making SOME progress in the always evolving game of taking life one step at a time.
But don’t be feared. We aren’t totally taking the wheels off the cart that sits before the horse. There will still be a healthy dose of butter, cheese and of course, carbs. I’m a living, breathing human being afterall!
Eating ‘light’, ‘healthy’ or even ‘skinny’ doesn’t mean going without flavor. In fact, flavor is the secret ingredient no matter what the calorie count. Flavor follows suit whenever cooking is fresh, seasonal and delicious.
And that’s the name of the game in this eater’s book.
About the Recipe
This recipe is based on one I’ve had bookmarked forever (make that 2001) from a dog-eared issue of Bon Appetit. I mean, you rarely go wrong with Bon Appetit which is why I tend to keep them around.
There aren’t many additions or subtractions to the original rendition of this recipe, mainly just more of the suggested amounts of spices and the addition of ground coriander for an even bolder flavor note. I took a note from this Moroccan Stew recipe and rather than adding the dried spices into the broth, I sautรฉed them with the onions and garlic for a smokier, richer flavor, to coax out their essence.
I don’t use saffron too often in my cooking, mainly because I treasure a box of it I received from one of my dear friends whose father was a pilot and brought it back to me from one of his travels (here’s looking at you Laila!) But why hold onto something just to save it and never enjoy it? Use it or lose it is my new mantra.
For extra nutrients and a little green (because I love the colors of the rainbow in every dish) I added chopped kale to the soup. Yes, I’m still on the kale train in 2015 and unlike some, I don’t think anyone will see anything wrong with that.
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Moroccan Soup with Kale and Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion , chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 3 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 28- ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes in their juice
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 4 cups butternut squash , peeled and cut into ยฝ inch pieces
- 2 cups russet potato , peeled and cut into ยฝ inch pieces
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 15- ounce cans garbanzo beans , drained
- 4 cups chopped kale , stems removed
- ยฝ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sautรฉ for about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in the saffron, cinnamon sticks, coriander and ground cumin and cook for 2-3 minutes until the spices are fragrant.
- Add the diced tomatoes and their juice, chicken broth, butternut squash and potato and bring to a boil. Season with kosher salt. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes or until the squash and potatoes are fork tender.
- Stir in the garbanzo beans and chopped kale and simmer for 5 minutes or until chickpeas are warmed through and the kale starts to wilt. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve.
Notes
Make it a great day and cook something good.
Here’s looking at you 2015. Yum.
As always, thank you for reading and for supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own. ย
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carol
Delicious on a cold, winter night. Iโm sure saffron would be lovely, but i skipped it because I donโt have it and didnโt miss it. Ignorance is bliss. I did have some cauliflower I wanted to use up and added it along with the potatoes and squash. Will include it next time as it worked well in the soup. Great recipe.
Pamela
Just made this and itโs so refreshing and tasty I subโd a sweet potato for a white potato so I have both in there plus, a dash of clove made this so yummy.
I love this soup too Pamela, and it’s so good any time of year. Thx for the note.
Janet Tupper
I have made variations based on this soup over and over! Since I eat a plant based diet all the time, I often will just use the roasted vegetables I have on hand–I roast big batches, then use them in different ways for variety. Today my batch (6 cups) included roasted mushrooms, sweet potatoes and regular potatoes with spinach instead of kale. Great soup!
Tony Payne
This looks really good. I’m looking for soomething healthy that I can microwave at work, and this would probably have everyone else in the department jealous.
LucySunshine
Do you have some InstantPot notes for this one ? Thanks a million
Marie
Just made this recipe from veggies fresh from the farm. It is incredible. The colors are amazing. Seriously yum. And my first time ever cooking with saffron.
So glad you enjoyed it Marie! Thanks for letting us all know. And yes, saffron is much loved here.
Naomi Daugherty
Just finished my third bowl of this soup. It is seriously so good I can’t stop eating it! So easy and what delicious flavor…very impressed.
Sunny
How would you modify this recipe for a slow cooker? Thanks.
Judith
The best soup ever
Thanks Judith, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Ji Sun
Excellent, simple recipe. I didn’t have saffron and used cinnamon powder but it still came out delicious
Ji, that is a great substitution idea and so glad you made it work with what you had in the pantry.
plasterers bristol
Love this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Simon
Eveline
These soups look delish. Would it be nice to add some raisins to it?
Joyce Vandenberg Porter
I pinned this when you posted it a couple of weeks ago. I love the colors AND I just got butternut squash and kale in my CSA box, so…making tonight. Will post on my blog (www.goodmotherdiet.com) for Meatless Monday if all goes well. Will link back to FoodieCrush. Thanks for sharing!
Sara
When trying new recipes, my husband and I always rate them from 1 to 5. Husband said to rate this a 10. Thanks for sharing!
cheri
Hi Heidi, love the spice combo you used in your delicious looking soup, great line-up of veggie soups too!
Jennie @themessybakerblog
Cheers to the new year! This soup looks absolutely amazing, and, of course, your photos are stunning. I can’t wait to see what the new year brings here at foodiecrush.
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps
No flavor sacrificed here! THIS is how to eat healthy, bold flavors, little fat. In love.
Kelly
I love the picture of the saffron! This soup sounds delicious too. Happy 2015!
Alissa
A big bowl of healthy comfort food is exactly what I need this week, and this one looks fantastic! Thank you for sharing my Indian Curry Potato Soup! Happy New Year!
kelley
Great minds think alike! Here’s to a balanced 2015 full of health, laughter and good eats! xo
Martine
Hi Heidi, your Moroccan Soup with Kale looks delicious!!! Adding kale to soups is such a great way to get in more greens! I added some to a mung bean soup I just posted and a red lentil soup I’m about to post. So glad you liked my Mediterranean Lentil Soup. Thank you for sharing with your readers Heidi. Best wishes to you for a very Happy New Year!
Chels
Drooling! I love the flavors in this soup! This is perfect because I want more kale in my life!
Kare @ Kitchen Treaty
Love those gorgeous colors! This looks so. good. Loving the looks of every single soup in your round-up, too. Happy 2015!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen
This is my kind of soup, Heidi! And I totally agree that we should eat healthy, good foods without depriving ourselves. Because that’s no fun at all. Cheers to a wonderful 2015!
Ali | Gimme Some Oven
Wow, what a gorgeous way to kick off the new year. I love those ingredient photos!! And the SOUP!! We must be on the same page — I made a Moroccan chicken stew last week, but I totally dig your vegetarian version.
Cheers to a healthy AND tasty 2015!
Laura @ Laura's Culinary Adventures
I don’t mind eating healthy, when the food is delicious and flavorful!
Erin | The Law Student's Wife
Saving this recipe to fight the nasty nasty cold weather that’s settled here in WI. Love these spices!
Robyn @ simply fresh dinners
Wow, Heidi, your Moroccan Soup looks fantastic and the pics are stunning! Love flavors :)
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
This soup is so packed with goodness!! Looooove all those vegetables in this!
[email protected]
I’m so happy that you’re not sacrificing any flavor in the name of health here. It looks amazing! Pinned!
June Burns
Mmm that looks awesome! Love the addition of chickpeas, my favorite. I’ll have to try that vegetarian pho too :)
Teffy
That soup looks super delicious and warming!
I’m a huge fan of Moroccan inspired flavours, and I just love how you added whole cinnamon sticks to this, so clever!
{Teffy’s Perks} X
Tom @ Raise Your Garden
I like the cinnamon sticks too. New to the Moroccan flavors, don’t always eat too much without meat, but the wife is encouraging me to go more meatless to help with my cholesterol.