YIELD: 4 to 6 servings | PREP TIME: 20 minutes | STOVETOP: about 30 minutes
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 2 cups (480 ml) sliced carrots (½-inch rounds; about 3 large carrots)
• 2 cups (480 ml) diced red onions (about 1 medium)
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of saffron
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes or 2 pounds (907 g) fresh tomatoes
• ⅓ cup golden raisins
• ¼ cup currants
• 4 cups (960 ml) diced Japanese eggplant (about 1 large)
• 4 cups (960 ml) diced zucchini (about 4 medium)
• 3 cups (720 ml) diced sweet potato (about 1 large)
• About 2 cups (480 ml) Roasted Vegetable Broth or water
• Chopped fresh mint, for garnish
• Chopped toasted almonds, for garnish
1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and cook for 3 more minutes.
2. Add the garlic, salt, and spices and cook for 1 minute, or until very fragrant. Add the tomatoes, raisins, and currants and bring to a simmer.
3. Add the eggplant, zucchini, and sweet potato to the pot. Add enough broth to barely come up to the level of the veggies (about 2 cups (480 ml)). Cover and bring to a simmer.
4. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until all of the vegetables are tender, stirring two or three times during cooking. Serve garnished with fresh mint and toasted almonds.
Nut-Free Modification: Omit the almonds.
More Recipes You'll Love
Moroccan vegetable stew is a fragrant, rainbow-hued pot of carrots, eggplant, zucchini, and sweet potato simmered with warm spices and a pinch of saffron. Golden raisins and currants melt into the broth, giving the stew its signature sweet-savory depth. Finished with fresh mint and toasted almonds, it is a plant-based centerpiece with real presence.
Pro Tips
- Add the vegetables in order of cooking time — carrots first, then the softer eggplant, zucchini, and sweet potato — so everything turns tender at the same moment.
- Bloom the spice blend (cumin, turmeric, coriander, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon, saffron) in the oil for a full minute. That step is what makes the stew taste authentically Moroccan.
- Use only enough broth to barely cover the vegetables — about 2 cups. Too much liquid turns a stew into a soup and dilutes the spices.
- The raisins and currants are not garnish — they melt into the cooking liquid and give the stew its traditional sweetness. Stir two or three times as it simmers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Moroccan vegetable stew vegan?
Yes — it is built entirely on vegetables, broth, spices, and dried fruit. Use vegetable broth or water and the whole pot stays plant-based.
Can I make this stew ahead of time?
It keeps 4 days in the fridge and tastes even better on day two as the spices settle. Add the mint and almonds fresh when serving.
What can I serve with Moroccan vegetable stew?
Cauliflower rice is the perfect paleo base to soak up the fragrant broth, and it turns the stew into a full, satisfying meal.
Is this stew nut-free adaptable?
Simply omit the toasted almond garnish as the recipe notes suggest — the fresh mint finish keeps it lively either way.
Recipe Card
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 cups sliced carrots (½-inch rounds; about 3 large carrots)
- 2 cups diced red onions (about 1 medium)
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp paprika
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of saffron
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes or 2 pounds fresh tomatoes
- ⅓ cup golden raisins
- ¼ cup currants
- 4 cups diced Japanese eggplant (about 1 large)
- 4 cups diced zucchini (about 4 medium)
- 3 cups diced sweet potato (about 1 large)
- About 2 cups Roasted Vegetable Broth or water
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Add the garlic, salt, and spices and cook for 1 minute, or until very fragrant. Add the tomatoes, raisins, and currants and bring to a simmer.
- Add the eggplant, zucchini, and sweet potato to the pot. Add enough broth to barely come up to the level of the veggies (about 2 cups). Cover and bring to a simmer.
- Turn the heat down to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until all of the vegetables are tender, stirring two or three times during cooking. Serve garnished with fresh mint and toasted almonds.
Chopped fresh mint, for garnish
Chopped toasted almonds, for garnish
