Rhonda from Dining Alone has a “Best Thing I Ever Made” feature where she highlights a favorite recipe each week from her archives. In October, she shared this stew as the best soup she’s ever made. All I had to do was take one look at her totally delicious picture (please, go look, and grab a napkin to catch the drool) to know I had to make it.
My sister’s best friend, Margo, married a Moroccan man (that’s them up there with the Twinkies during a Toot and Twinkies game night…but that’s another story for a different day) and she introduced me to their cuisine after she learned to cook it from her sister-in-law. Her Moroccan Chicken Couscous is so so delicious, and this stew has very similar ingredients so I was fairly certain I would love it.
Love it? No, I’m obsessed with it. If this soup were a person, it would have filed a restraining order on me because I stalked it for three nights in a row, made inappropriate noises while eating it, and almost cried when it was gone. I might have separation anxiety. Moroccan Turkey Stew, please don’t leave me! Come back!
So anyway, you should try this stew. And please invite me over for dinner when you do. I promise I’ll keep the inappropriate noises to a minimum.
Slow Cooker Moroccan Turkey Stew
Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture
1 teaspoon ground allspice
Kosher salt
4 skinless, bone-in turkey thighs (about 4 pounds)*
1/2 medium butternut squash, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with juices, broken up
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup golden raisins
8 medium carrots, cut into 11/2-inch pieces
3 medium red onions, halved and cut into wedges
2 whole dried red chiles
1/2 lemon
2 cups fresh cilantro, including leaves and some stems
1 cup fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
*You can also use bone-in chicken thighs, which is what I opted to use since I couldn’t find turkey legs.
Combine the allspice and 3 teaspoons salt in a small bowl. Season the turkey thighs with half the salt mixture in a 5-quart slow cooker.
Toss the squash, chickpeas, tomatoes, apricots, raisins, carrots, onions and chiles with the remaining spiced salt. Pour the vegetables over the turkey (the cooker will be full; arrange the mixture so the lid fits. And don’t be like me and think you can fit extra veg in because you can’t–trust me.). Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
Spoon the vegetables and broth into bowls. Remove and discard the turkey bones and place the meat on top of the vegetables.
Juice the lemon; pulse with the cilantro, parsley, garlic, cumin and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Add the oil and process until smooth. Serve the stew in bowls; drizzle with the cilantro sauce.
*Veronica’s note: your cilantro sauce will probably not be as green as mine (compare it with Rhonda’s picture) because I didn’t measure it and probably used twice as much as I was supposed to. I didn’t care, it was still phenomenal.
Recipe source: Food Network, as seen on Dining Alone
***
Disclaimer: I know I said I wasn’t going to apologize for my bad photos, but I do want to explain that I took these with zero natural light–all I had was the light from the light bulb overhead in the bedroom because for some reason, that is the brightest room in our house. So I think they’re pretty good, considering. Except for the swampy green blobs. That’s not cool, but hey, this is real life up in my kitchen and swampy green blobs happen.
Veronica's Cornucopia 
HAHA love your description of “stalking it.” Must be good, Veronica!
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Very. :)
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That sounds soooo good! haha I thought the green blobs were broccoli at first!
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I know, they kinda look like it. lol.
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this looks amazing! even if it’s non-natural light. such is winter.
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I do enjoy some aspects of winter, but the lack of natural light isn’t one of them. Especially as a food blogger!
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I am not sure I’ve ever had anything moroccan before?! Looks delicious! Don’t even get me started on my flourescent lighting at home – so gross! Happy Monday V!
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Time to try it! So good.
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This sounds ridiculously good – GAAAH vegetarianism :P
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Remove the chicken and voila! A delicious vegetarian stew!
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As I was reading this I actually thought your pictures looked great, especially that last one! I even thought the lighting was good. I need your password now, because I’m going to remove that disclaimer! Lol! ;) The stew really looks and sounds great!
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Hehehe, thanks Suzie! That makes me happy to read. Maybe I should judge my photos the same way I do others, which is not at all.
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I’m SUCH a fan of all things Moroccan flavored! I need to find a way to veg-ify this!
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I think it would be great as is with the chicken removed!
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LOL at your stalking the stew! I seriously want to make this but alas I can’t drive right now and don’t have turkey thighs on hand to make it. I do think chicken thighs would also be good so I might be able to pull this together in a few days when I can be on my feet more. Love all those delicious flavors!
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Tell that hubby of yours he gets bonus points if he puts it in the crockpot for you! :)
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Love that this incorporates dark meat…ftw! Lovely blend of spices and fruit, too. I wish I could be invited to an event involving twinkies =)
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I’m not usually a dark meat fan but it was so good here! and yes, all the flavors together were just wonderful. Aw Squish you would have been the life of the party!
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The stew looks warming and comforting!
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It very much is.
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I am so glad you loved it, I think about this soup all the time :) I just might need to make it again next week. Thanks for the shout out :)
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Sounds like we both need a restraining order. ;)
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What an amazing combination of ingredients! I bet eating it is like a party in your mouth!!!! YUM!
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It wasn’t a party for me, it was like a sexy slow dance.
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