Moroccan Sweet Potato And Chickpea Soup Greenbowl2Soul

One of the most popular recipe categories on my blog is of soups. This shows that just like me a lot of my readers are soup lovers too. So, for my soup-loving readers, I am sharing another very tasty soup recipe from Morocco called Moroccan sweet potato and chickpea soup. It’s a vegan and gluten-free soup that’s perfect to be served as a light meal too. If you are craving a cozy, satisfying meal on a cold day, just make this Moroccan sweet potato soup, dunk a crusty bread in it, and enjoy!

Moroccan cuisine

Influenced by a lot of different cuisines and cultures like Berber (North Africa), Arabic, Mediterranean, and even European to some extent, Moroccan cuisine is very diverse. The spices that are used in this cuisine are almost similar to the spices that are used in Indian cooking like turmeric, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, fenugreek, fennel, cloves, star anise, etc. However, Moroccans also use a lot of other ingredients that are generally not used in traditional Indian cooking like oregano, parsley, marjoram, verbena, etc. These ingredients and different methods of cooking give Moroccan food its unique taste. So, while you get a hint of Indian flavors in a lot of Moroccan dishes it still tastes quite different. The way garam masala is used in Indian cooking, Moroccans also have a very popular spice mixture made with around twenty-seven spices and it’s called ras el hanout. If your want to explore this cuisine more then don’t miss to check out my other easy Moroccan recipes like Moroccan chickpea couscous salad, Harira, Moroccan carrot salad, or Moroccan roasted potatoes.

Moroccan sweet potato and chickpea soup ingredients

To make this Moroccan soup, you will need the ingredients shown below: Other ingredient details and nutritional information are shared in the recipe card.

How to make (step-by-step instructions)?

To make Moroccan sweet potato and chickpea soup, follow the easy step-by-step instructions given below: Step 1: Heat oil in a large pot. Add chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook until the onion turns translucent. Step 2: Add dried ginger powder, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, cumin powder, and vegetable bouillon cube. Saute for a few seconds. Step 3: Add tomato paste and harissa paste. Step 4: Saute for around 30 seconds. Step 5: Add peeled and chopped sweet potatoes. Step 6: Add cooked chickpeas and salt. Step 7: Cook for 1-2 minutes. Step 8: Add water and mix. Steps 9 and 10: Cover the soup pot with a lid and cook for 35-40 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are cooked well. Step 11: Blend with a hand blender (immersion blender). Step 12: Add lemon juice and chopped cilantro. Mix. Your delicious Moroccan sweet potato and chickpea soup is ready to be served!

Serving Moroccan sweet potato soup

Serve this sweet potato soup warm or hot. You can drizzle some olive oil on top and garnish it with chopped fresh herbs. To add some texture, top it with some sauteed chickpeas or sauteed sweet potatoes. It can be paired with a side dish like crusty bread, garlic bread, a crunchy salad, roasted vegetables, Moroccan roasted potatoes, or Moroccan couscous salad.

Storing, freezing, and reheating tips

Store the leftover soup in an airtight container and refrigerate, it will be fine for 4-5 days. You can also freeze it in batch-size, freezer-safe containers or zip-lock bags for around 3-4 months. To reheat, either microwave or reheat on the stovetop until heated well. Keep stirring in between and if required, add more warm liquid (water or stock) to get the desired consistency.

Recipe tips, tricks, and variation suggestions

Canned and home-cooked chickpeas both are fine to be used in this recipe. Spices get burned very fast so don’t leave them unattended and saute for a few seconds only. You may also add 1-2 tablespoons of water with the spices. Instead of ginger powder, you can use fresh ginger too. You may add 1-2 bay leaves to the soup while cooking sweet potatoes and chickpeas. Don’t miss to remove them before blending the soup. Chop sweet potato into small pieces to fasten the cooking process. If you prefer your soup with some texture, either don’t blend it or blend only a portion of it. The soup can be blended in a stand blender too if you don’t have an immersion blender. If using a stand blender, let the soup get slightly colder before blending. You may adjust the consistency of the soup to your liking. If after blending you feel the soup is too thick for you, add some warm water or vegetable broth and cook for a few more minutes. Follow the same recipe and replace chickpeas with red lentils to make Moroccan sweet potato lentil soup.