Chicken, Chickpea and Chermoula Soup
A simple chicken soup gets a Moroccan/North African twist thanks to some chermoula herb and spice mixture. With tender chicken, pearl couscous and chickpeas, it makes a satisfying lunch or light supper.
Easy to make, this Chicken, Chickpea and Chermoula Soup begins with the same basic ingredients found in most chicken soups, stock, onion, carrot, and celery. Add chickpeas and pearl couscous to the mix and you have a nice filling soup with lots of different textures.
So far so good, then you add the star ingredient, Chermoula!
A few tablespoons of bright, fresh, and spicy chermoula transforms this everyday chicken soup into something really special, and a little bit exotic.
What is Chermoula?
Chermoula is a Moroccan / North African Condiment made with lots of fresh cilantro, mint, and parsley, along with olive oil, garlic, and lemon. A blend of toasted spices, cumin, paprika, coriander, and red chili flakes adds warmth and depth.
Although you can use store-bought, chermoula is very easy to make at home and takes only a few minutes. The best part is you can adjust the spices and quantities you use to suit your personal taste.
Check out my post Chermoula Herb and Spice Condiment and whip up a batch of homemade chermoula.
One thing I guarantee, once you try it you will find no end of uses for your chermoula.
Ingredients
- 1 onion peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 carrot peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 540 ml canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 175 ml Israeli / pearl couscous
- 1.25 liters chicken or vegetable stock
- 60 ml chermoula paste (3-4 tablespoons)
Instructions
- Prepare the chermoula paste mixture https://thefuzzyartichoke.com/chermoula-herb-and-spice-condiment/or skip to next step if using store-bought.
- In a large soup pot or Dutch Oven, heat the olive oil over med-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes.Add the diced carrot and celery and 1 tablespoon of the chermoula paste and stir until the vegetables are evenly coated. Add the stock and the chicken breasts to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover and let simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside until cool enough to handle. Once cooled, shred or cut into bite-size pieces.
- Add the chickpeas and the Israeli / pearl couscous to the pot. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add the shredded chicken to the pot and stir in 2-3 tablespoons of the chermoula paste.
- Serve with a drizzling of chermoula on top.