Vegan creamy cashew, lentil, and roast cauliflower Moroccan inspired stew is packed full of plant-based nutrition and feel-good spices.
The Moroccan inspired flavours are so savoury, tangy, sweet, pleasantly spicy and satisfying.
Although if you prefer more heat just pop in more cayenne!
Vegan Moroccan Inspired Chickpea Stew
Chickpeas, red lentils, cauliflower, and cashews form a quartet that is surely a plant-based hero line-up or chorus! The appetite stimulating aromas this stew produces whilst bubbling away on the stove-top are just amazing.
The usual suspects of tomatoes, carrot, celery, onion and garlic make up the veggie base of the tasty ingredients for this Moroccan flavoured stew.
Creamy Moroccan chickpea stew is perfect for batch prepping as it freezes really well and the flavours just develop more and improve after a few days in the refrigerator.
Replacing cooking oil with veggie stock
This stew can be prepared without any oil or fat without any sacrifice to flavours. Vegetable stock is used to initially sauté the vegetables. With cashews providing all the essential healthy fats required in the form of a creamy sauce base.
However, a tablespoon or two of olive or vegetable oil can be used instead if preferred as well as replacing the cashew cream with coconut milk.
I do try to reduce my family's oil consumption but I have not eradicated it completely as I find that oil is a useful ingredient for preparing vegan baking recipes.
If interested for more information about oils and why people reduce their intake check out what the plant-based Dr Greger has to say.
How To Prepare Cashew, Lentil And Cauliflower Moroccan Stew:
Chop the cauliflower into florets and season with ras el hanout spice mix, salt and pepper.
Roast for 25 minutes.
Pour in the tomato passata, chopped tomatoes, veggie stock, along with the red lentils, ras el hanout, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper.
Season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a simmer and stew for 15 minutes.
Pour into the stew.
Tip in the chickpeas and cauliflower leaves and simmer for 10 minutes.
After 5 minutes pop in the roasted cauliflower.
Recipe Notes And Tips
- This Moroccan inspired stew will keep fresh in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days.
- Reheat to piping hot before serving.
- Freeze portions of stew for later. This recipe is perfect for batch cooking.
- Leftover stew is perfect, reheated until piping hot, for lunch the next day.
- Serve leftovers over toasted/grilled bread. It is surprisingly so tasty.
- Leftover stew can be blended and transformed into a creamy Moroccan inspired soup!
- Serve your stew with a variety of sides for a more substantial meal or as part of special celebration meal.
- These vegan 3-ingredient flatbreads are particularly tasty dunked into this stew.
- Couscous is a traditional Moroccan accompaniment to stews.
- Use shop-bought vegan sides to save time. I used a packet of lemon and coriander couscous and garnished with chopped coriander. And a tub of Moroccan-inspired hummus with a few chickpeas as a garnish.
- Instead of cauliflower add some shop-bought or home-made falafels.
- Butterbeans are a tasty substitute for chickpeas.
More vegan, plant-based dinner ideas:
Slow Cooker Traditional Vegan 'Beef' Stew (with fluffy dumplings)
'Corned beef' Tempeh, Cabbage and Potato Hash
Vegan Thai-inspired Red Curry (with sweet potatoes, broccoli and chickpeas)
Vegan Creamy Cashew, Lentil, and Cauliflower Moroccan Stew
Equipment
- Blender/food processor for blending cashews
- Non-stick skillet/ stove-top casserole dish with lid or heat-proof plate
- Baking tray for roasting cauliflower
Ingredients
For the creamy base:
- 140 grams cashews pre-soaked in boiling water a few hours before preparing the stew
- 500 millilitres boiling water
For the chickpea stew:
- 150 grams red split lentils rinsed and drained
- 240 grams chickpeas 400g/ 14oz can drained, or about 240g cooked chickpeas
- 300 grams carrots thin sliced
- 150 grams celery thin sliced
- 170 grams onion rough chopped
- 4 cloves garlic fine chopped or minced
- 500 grams tomato passata (sieved uncooked pureed tomato sauce)
- 1 can chopped tomatoes 400g/14oz can
- 750 millilitres vegetable stock 3 cups
- 4 teaspoon ras el hanout spice blend. Or a similar Moroccan/North African spice blend
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper use more if prefer more spiciness or less if not.
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
For the roast cauliflower:
- 600 grams cauliflower 1 large, sliced into medium sized florets.. Keep the best outer leaves, and wash and slice the leaves.
- 2 teaspoon ras el hanout plus a little salt and pepper
Instructions
Prepare the cashew creamy base:
- Place the cashews in the boiling water and leave to soak overnight or for a few hours.
- Blend the cashews and water until smooth or as smooth as your blender allows! Don't worry if not completely smooth as it won't affect the finished stew.
Prepare the roast cauliflower:
- Preheat oven to 180 Fan/ 200 Celsius/ 350 Fahrenheit /Gas 4.
- Wash the cauliflower. Shake and drain to dry the cauliflower a little but a little moisture is good as it will help the spice blend adhere. Chop the cauliflower into medium sized florets. Lay out on a baking pan.Any little bits that break off just add to the pan.Sprinkle 2 teaspoon ras el hanout spice blend over and stir. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over.
- Roast for 25 minutes until just soft, but still got a nice bite, and tinged golden. If desired turn the cauliflower half way through cooking but its not essential.Set aside until required.
Cook the stew while the cauliflower is roasting:
- Pour 125ml/½ cup of the vegetable stock into the pan. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic.Bring to a simmer, pop a lid on your pan and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the passata, chopped tomatoes, red split lentils, rest of the vegetable stock, ras al hanout, cinnamon and cayenne.Add a sprinkle of salt and some black pepper.Stir.Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.(While stew is cooking prepare any sides you may have planned)
- Pour and scrape all the cashew cream into the stew.
- Add the cauliflower leaves and chickpeas and simmer for 10 minutes. After 5 minutes add the roast cauliflower. Either mix the cauliflower through or just drop it in.
- Check the seasoning. The sauce may look slightly thin but it will thicken up as it cools.
- Serve with a garnish of coriander, perhaps a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, and a scattering of toasted almond flakes or chopped cashews.A dollop of hummus is also tasty. As is a serving of couscous or a wedge of chunky bread or flatbreads.
Notes
- Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
- Leftover stew can be stored within a covered container and placed in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Or frozen for up to 3-4 months.
- Reheat leftover Moroccan stew by placing in a non-stick pan, along with a splash of veggie stock, plant milk or water if required, and gently reheat until piping hot. Stir frequently.
- Or pop the leftover stew into the microwave for a few minutes until piping hot.
- Serve Moroccan stew with tasty flatbreads, crusty bread, couscous, rice, mashed potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, hummus, olives, fresh coriander (cilantro),lemon or lime wedges, etc.
Sara Welch
Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it does not disappoint! So bold and flavorful; easily a new favorite recipe!
Yes I agree! This Moroccan stew is a frequent visitor at our home we all love the creamy flavours. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Beth
Yummy! My family and I enjoyed this the other night. I’ve made it a few times now and it’s my son’s favorite stew. We will be having this again!
That's so good to read. Happy your son loved the stew so much 🙂
Tawnie
full of flavor and so warming! loved the step by step photos too! thank you!
Thanks! Glad you liked the stew and photos 🙂
veenaazmanov
Delicious and a perfect comforting meal. Made with all the healthy and nutritious veggies and lentils too. Super yum for sure.
I agree! I love recipes where lots of veggies can be highlighted and taste wonderful in a yummy nutritious sauce. Veggies deserve to be the star of the dish 🙂
Biana
This stew looks great, and so flavorful! I love using roasted cauliflower, it has so much flavor.
The roasted cauliflower is so good, I had to stop myself eating it straight from the roasting pan before I even got a chance to add it to the stew!
Anjali
This stew was so hearty, flavorful and satisfying!! Love that it's vegan friendly and healthy too! Made it for dinner last night and my whole family loved it!
Wonderful to read that your family enjoyed the stew so much. This recipe is a definite keeper 🙂
Julia
Wow! You've some lovely flavours going on that dish. I also love the way cauliflower almost sinks into stews like this. I can't wait to try it.
Thanks. I love roasted cauliflower and mixing it into this creamy Moroccan stew is such a tasty combination 🙂
Nora
This looks delicious! Can't wait to try it out! Thanks for sharing!
Your welcome 🙂
Cooking with Carbs
I've made a lot of stews before, but not many Moroccan stews. This dish sounds amazing, and better yet my family loves cashews, cauliflower and lentils! So it's the perfect dish for us. I'll be trying this soon.
Thanks for your lovely comment. My family loves cashews, cauliflower and lentils too! Hope you enjoy 🙂
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady
I've been looking for more plant based dinner ideas and this fits the bill. I'm loving the combination of flavours, lentils and cauliflower!
Awesome! So glad you love the recipe and found some plant-based dinner ideas. That's what this blog is all about 🙂
Andra
This looks like the perfect comfort food. I love the suggestions for extra garnishes. Thank you!
Your welcome 🙂