Moroccan Beef & Chickpea Stew

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

In a large Dutch oven over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, carrots, celery, cilantro stems and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the paste begins to brown and stick to the pot, about 1 minute. Stir in the harissa and turmeric, followed by the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer over medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.

Step 2

Stir in the potatoes and broth, then bring to a simmer. Add the beef, stir to combine and return to a simmer. Cover, reduce to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until a skewer inserted into the beef meets no resistance, about 1½ hours.

Step 3

Remove the pot from the heat. Transfer the beef to a cutting board and cut it into bite-size pieces. Using a potato masher, mash the vegetables in the pot to a coarse puree. (Alternatively, use an immersion blender to process the vegetables and cooking liquid.) Return the beef to the pot.

Step 4

Stir in the chickpeas. Bring to a simmer over medium and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are heated through and tender, about 15 minutes, adding water, if needed, to thin the soup to the desired consistency. Off heat, stir in the lemon juice and cilantro leaves. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with additional harissa on the side.

Step 5

Tip: Don’t combine the cilantro stems and leaves after chopping. Reserve them separately, as the stems are used early on and the leaves are stirred in just before serving. Also, don’t bother rinsing the chickpeas. Simply drain off the liquid from the cans. The starchy liquid left clinging to the chickpeas helps give the soup a rich consistency.