Tons of spices and tons of vegetables combine for this hearty stew.

I came across this recipe and it was a super easy one to whip up after coming home from work. The traditional recipe calls for butternut squash, but I’m not a huge fan of it… too sweet for me. So I substituted sweet potatoes instead. Feel free to use whichever you prefer! Also I happened to have all these spices on hand (shout-out to CBailey for my Zanzibar spices!). You can use whatever you have or just substitute a few shakes of curry powder. Also, for the life of me I can’t remember if I added greens to this dish, but it is a super easy one to throw in kale or spinach at the end for extra vegetables. And as always with my tomato-based soups, throw in a teaspoon of harissa if you want an extra kick!

I first made this in my Instant Pot but have since added stove-top directions after getting some requests.

*yields about 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 half of sweet onion

• 1-2 medium carrots

• 1-2 stalks of celery

• 3 cups butternut squash, or 2-3 medium sweet potatoes

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 tbsp ginger

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp coriander powder

• 1 tsp cumin powder

• 1 tsp turmeric powder

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional if you want it spicy)

• 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

• 1 can (16 oz) garbanzo beans

• Bunch of cilantro (optional)

Instant Pot Directions

1. Chop veggies: Chop onion, carrots, and celery. Cut the butternut squash or sweet potato into 1-inch cubes.

2. Sauté: Select the 'Sauté' function and pre-heat the Instant Pot. Add oil to the pre-heated inner pot of Instant Pot and allow it to heat up. Stir in onions, and sauté until soft, about 1 minute.

3. Add aromatics: Stir in garlic and ginger. Add salt, black pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper, stirring until fragrant about 15 to 30 seconds. Deglaze with a couple of tablespoons of broth. Stir to remove any brown bits.

4. Cook soup: Once deglazed, stir in remaining broth. Add butternut squash or sweet potatoes, carrots, and celery. Stir to combine. Add tomatoes; push down with a spatula to immerse in the broth. Add harissa if using. Close the lid and pressure cook on High for 6 minutes. Once the time is done, press cancel and let it naturally release or quick release.

5. Finish and serve: Stir in chickpeas; heat through on Saute mode. If desired for extra vegetables, stir in spinach or kale until wilted. Garnish with cilantro.

Stove Top Directions

1. Chop veggies: Chop onion, carrots, and celery. Cut the butternut squash or sweet potato into 1-inch cubes.

1. Sauté: Heat oil in pot. Stir in onions, and sauté over medium heat until soft, about 5 minute.

2. Add aromatics: Stir in garlic and ginger. Add salt, black pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper, stirring until fragrant about 15 to 30 seconds. Deglaze with a couple of tablespoons of broth. Stir to remove any brown bits.

3. Cook soup: Once deglazed, stir in remaining broth. Add butternut squash or sweet potatoes, carrots, and celery. Stir to combine. Add tomatoes; push down with a spatula to immerse in the broth. Add harissa if using. Cover and cook for 30-40 minutes

4. Finish and serve: Stir in chickpeas; heat through another 5 minutes. If desired for extra vegetables, stir in spinach or kale until wilted. Garnish with cilantro.