If you’re tired of the same old Instant Pot soups, have I got a winning recipe for you. This Instant Pot Moroccan Chicken Soup recipe brings familiar flavors like cinnamon and cloves together in an unexpected way, resulting in a mildly exotic, crowd-pleasing dish. This is the perfect soup to try if you’re looking to expand your Instant Pot recipe collection. It definitely features Middle Eastern flavors, but it isn’t so exotic that your kids won’t eat it.
I’ve been making this Moroccan Chicken Soup for almost a decade, though I only recently adapted it for my Instant Pot. I stumbled upon the original recipe quite accidentally. It was one of those nights when–at the last minute–I was scouring the pantry and the fridge, trying to come up with a meal idea. I found a recipe online that I had all the ingredients for and went with it. This Moroccan Chicken Soup is the result. It calls for grocery staples like chicken, carrots, zucchini and tomatoes — things you most likely already have on hand. The Moroccan twist is brought in by the addition of the warm baking spices, chickpeas, green olives and a fresh mint garnish.
Even though it’s technically a soup, it’s served over a bed of couscous, which serves to soak up much of the chicken stock. The result is a hearty and flavorful dish that will warm you from the inside out.
Even if you normally shy away from recipes that are slightly out of the ordinary, I encourage you to give this one a try. Every time I serve it, even my kids remark on how good it is. There really is great depth of flavor and complexity in this dish. It might just make a Morrocan flavor fan out of you.
MOROCCAN CHICKEN SOUP
Ingredients
- 1 c whole wheat couscous
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 large carrots cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 16 oz can garbanzo beans
- 1 16 oz container crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups sliced green olives
- 3 cups chicken stock or broth
- 2 zucchini cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 8-10 fresh mint leaves, julienned
Instructions
- Prepare the couscous according to package directions. Set aside.
- Turn the Instant Pot on and program it for the sauté function. When the inner pot is hot, heat the oil until it thins and quickly coats the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken and sauté for 2-3 minutes. When the chicken has turned mostly white and is no longer pink, add the onion to the inner pot and continue to sauté the mixture until the onion is tender and translucent and the chicken is no longer pink. Stir in bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt. Add carrots, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, olives and chicken stock into the pot. Place the Instant Pot lid on and lock it into place. Ensure that the valve is set to the "sealing" position.
- Using the electronic control panel, set the Instant Pot to the Soup function with a cooking time of 5 minutes. When cooking is complete, allow the Instant Pot to naturally depressurize for five minutes. After five minutes have passed, move the valve to the "venting" position. When the unit is depressurized and the pin drops, unlock and remove the lid.
- Using the control panel, set the Instant Pot to the sauté function once again. Add the zucchini into the pot and stir to combine. Allow the soup to simmer just until the zucchini is soft tender, five minutes or fewer. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve soup over cooked couscous and garnish with fresh, julienned mint.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 320Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 854mgFiber: 8gSugar: 9gProtein: 16g
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Instant Pot Chicken Tamale Soup
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