A fragrant, lightly spiced Moroccan vegetable stew loaded with chickpeas, carrot, and courgette in a warming cumin and coriander broth. Fresh coriander and mild red chilli give it a vibrant finish without needing any added salt. Serves 2–3 Prep 10 min Cook 25 min

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 1 medium carrot, sliced into 1cm rounds
• 1 medium courgette, quartered lengthwise and sliced
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 1 lemon, squeezed
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Small handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or casserole over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, courgette and carrot, and cook for 6–8 minutes until the onion is soft and starting to turn golden.
• Stir in the garlic and sliced chilli, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
• Add the ground cumin and ground coriander. Stir continuously for 1 minute to gently toast the spices in the oil.
• Pour in the 500ml vegetable stock, scraping up any toasted spices from the bottom of the pan.
• Add the rinsed chickpeas and bring the stew to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 12–15 minutes so the carrot begins to soften.
• Remove from the heat. Season with freshly ground black pepper and squeeze in the juice of the lemon.
• Scatter with plenty of freshly chopped coriander and serve hot with couscous, quinoa, or warm flatbread.